Connections
by vvmadp
Summary: Post S2. In the wake of Damon's recovery, Elena struggles with her loyalty to Stefan and her undeniable feelings for Damon. Determined to get his baby brother back, Damon is willing to do whatever it takes to free Stefan from Klaus. Even take his place...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** It's that time again! The season two finale happened, and it's time to post a story! This one isn't going to be a day-by-day chapter, so I apologize in advance, but I hope you'll stick with it anyway. I'll try to finish it as soon as I can and get into a regular publishing schedule so you guys know when to check back for updates. Hope you enjoy!

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><p>Elena Gilbert looked up at the entrance to the living room, surprise, disbelief, relief, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude flooding through her.<p>

"Damon," she greeted, setting aside her book and standing from the couch. "How are you feeling? Are you sure you should be moving around already?"

Damon Salvatore's normally confident stride was slower, a little more pained than usual, as he eased into the room and to the couch. His inhumanly pale coloring was still a little ashen, but it was starting to return to its milky hue. The waxen look about him was fading, his black hair still damp from his shower.

"I'm okay," he told her, his voice softer than she was used to. When Damon spoke, it was always so boisterous and full of confidence. But now he seemed muted, somehow, as if his brush with the werewolf bite and death had shaken him to his core and brought out something in him Elena didn't even know existed.

A vulnerable, almost-frightened, boyish side.

A humanity inside the ruthless vampire.

It brought out something in her, something she had never expected to feel toward Damon. A protectiveness. A fierce, burning desire to keep him safe. To shield him. To nurture him. To hold him until the nightmares eating at his soul went away and he returned to his former glory—cruel viciousness and all.

_"It's okay to love them both,"_ Katherine had said, before leaving Elena with the cure that would save Damon's life. _"I did."_

The thought made her shudder; made her insides twist and her stomach churn. She was nothing like Katherine. Nothing at all. And yet there she was—in love with Stefan, and holding Damon and comforting him in what they thought would be his final moments. Unable to imagine a day going by without him. Unable to picture her life without him doing something that would make her shake with fury—only to be later forgiven because it was Damon, and she knew in her heart Damon truly loved her and was just trying to protect her.

She opened her mouth to argue with him and send him back to bed for more rest, but Damon spoke instead. "Can you get that?" he asked, standing with cautious, careful movements. She frowned at him in confusion as he headed to the serving table of goblets, even as she heard the knock at the door.

She stood, startled. "Are you expecting someone?" she asked, caught off-guard by the sudden intrusion.

He turned back, a blood packet half-drained into the crystal cup in his hand. He flashed a half-smile, and for a moment, she could see a shred of the Damon she knew still in there, almost as if he were buried inside to gather strength before bursting forth again. The thought gave her strength, and she almost cried in relief. "An entire party," he returned.

She hurried to the door at the second knock, pulling it open. "Hi!" she greeted, overwhelmed at the small mass of people on the porch. In front was Alaric, looking a little disheveled but as strong as ever. To his left was Jeremy, who looked a little paler than normal but wore a slight smile. Behind him, holding Jeremy's hand, was Bonnie, wearing a smile and a firm look of resolve. To her right was Caroline, a bright grin on her bubbly face. To Caroline's left was Tyler, looking hesitant, almost fearful.

"How's he doing?" Alaric asked, peering past Elena and into the house.

"His hearing is fine!" Damon called back, from the living room.

Elena glanced back in his direction, then to the others. "Come in," she offered, stepping back to allow them access.

Alaric gave her a light squeeze on the shoulder and headed back to the living room. Jeremy gave her a gentle hug and stepped back, and then Elena found herself facing her two best girl friends.

It took everything in her not to burst into tears when the three folded into a fierce hug, as if the vampire and witch were trying to lend Elena some of their strength. Elena squeezed them tightly, drawing from their support, and trying to reassure them she was okay.

"How is he?" Bonnie asked, stepping away.

Elena nodded. "He's doing better. He's getting stronger. The bite disappeared, too. He's really cured."

"Elena, I—" Tyler began, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Here, wolfy-wolfy!"

They all froze at Damon's call. Elena watched Caroline squeeze Tyler's arm, then take his hand as she led him into the living room. Elena followed close behind, her heart in her throat. Damon was in no condition to fight, and he wouldn't anyway, would he? Tyler hadn't meant to bite him. Damon had to know that.

Damon was sitting on the couch when they entered. Alaric sat in the chair by the fire place, drinking a glass of amber liquid. Damon tipped his glass at them in greeting, then held up a glass with about an ounce of amber liquid in it.

"Here," Damon said, holding it out to Tyler.

Tyler hesitated. "Look, Damon, I didn't mean to—"

Damon's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not trying to poison you," he told him flatly. "It's a…" he trailed off, looking over at Alaric.

"Peace offering," Alaric supplied helpfully, smiling up at Tyler. Then he made a face at Damon. "Though you're really contributing to the delinquency of minors, and you know I'm a teacher, right?"

Damon smiled at him. It lacked the normal pretty menace, but Elena could still see a shred of it in there. He looked back up at Tyler. "Come on," he urged, an impatient look crossing his features. He shook his arm slightly.

Tyler approached slowly, as if he expected Damon to jump up and rip his throat out any second. He cautiously took the glass, watching as Damon instantly dropped his arm as if it weighed a ton. Elena forced down her urge to fret over him, even as he took a rather large gulp from his glass of red liquid.

They were all silent as Tyler hesitantly lifted the glass to his lips. He seemed to sniff it for a second, then tipped it, the contents disappearing into his mouth.

He immediately winced, dropping the cup. Elena felt Caroline beside her take a quick step forward, but Tyler suddenly started laughing, looking down at Damon. "That stuff is terrible," he declared. "Don't you vampires have better taste than that?"

Damon looked up at him with a slight smile. "Consider it thanks for trying to kill me," he returned. He looked back at the others. "And thank you all for coming."

"So is this, like, rescue Stefan headquarters now?" Caroline asked, entering the living room and dropping down onto one of the couches. "Because if so, it would be really nice if we could get some better lighting in here. And some color." She brightened excitedly. "Ooo! Can we get a white board?"

Damon gave her a blank look, even as the others filtered into the room and settled into seats. Elena slowly joined Damon on the couch, her mind spinning.

"Do you have a plan?" Elena asked Damon, hopeful and frightened at the same time.

"I always have a plan," Damon scoffed, but his voice was softer than normal, and it lacked the confidence he usually projected.

There was a moment of silence around the room.

"Too bad the other guys always have a better one," Alaric tossed out, breaking through the sudden weight in the room.

Smirks appeared around the room. Even Elena couldn't resist a small smile, especially when Damon made a face at Alaric. "Well this time it's going to be flawless," he announced. He looked around the room, his voice subdued and serious. "Klaus is the original. We can't kill him. We can't hurt him. If we're going to get Stefan back, we have to outsmart him."

"How are we going to do that?" Jeremy asked, frowning. "He's got centuries of knowledge on us. And we don't even know why he took Stefan in the first place."

"He must have had a reason," Elena mused. "When he said he was going to go to Klaus, he said Klaus had a chance to kill him and didn't. He seemed to think Klaus had a plan for him." She thought back to that day in the park, and Stefan hugging her. She had never thought it would be for the last time. Her heart felt like it was bleeding as she stared at her hands. "Guess he was right."

"And in that case," Damon continued, "we just have to figure out what it is."

"How are we going to do that?" Caroline asked, frowning. "Isn't Klaus long-gone by now?"

Damon wordlessly pointed to Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded strongly. "I can locate him," she agreed. "I might be able to give you a connection to him for a few minutes."

"A few minutes are all we need."

Bonnie stood. "Then I'll go get the stuff."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all of you who commented and read chapter one! I'm really happy you're enjoying it so far! :)

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><p>"I'll need some of your hair."<p>

Elena watched in disbelief as Damon took the scissors Bonnie handed him and held them out to her. "What do you want me to do?" she asked him, a little uneasily.

Damon curled his hand into the shape of scissors and brought his fingers together repeatedly in a cutting fashion. "Snip snip," he said.

Elena gaped at him. "Me?" she asked, stunned. "You want me to connect with Stefan?"

Bonnie stepped forward quickly, her dark eyes wide with alarm. "Damon, it's dangerous for a human to connect with a vampire. I've read stories—"

"It's Stefan," Damon reminded sharply. Elena stared at him as he took her by the shoulders, his slender fingers unusually bony, his grip weaker than it had ever been. "You just need to figure out where he is and what Klaus wants with him. And then we can go rescue him and bring him back to you." He offered a slight, almost wry smile, tinged with a hint of sadness that said everything he wasn't saying. And it made Elena's heart ache in a way that felt strangely unfamiliar when it came to Damon. "It's not like Klaus can un-cure me now, right?"

"But he could kill you," Elena objected, even as she felt temptation begin to sway her decision. "And everyone else."

"Then find out what Klaus wants from Stefan so that doesn't happen." Damon made his fingers into the shape of a pair of scissors again. "Snip snip."

She hesitantly raised the scissors to her hair, cutting off a small chunk a few inches long from the bottom. Bonnie took it from her reluctantly, her face filled with uneasiness.

"I'm against this," Bonnie told them. She turned to Elena. "I won't know what you're feeling. What you're thinking. If it seems like you're in trouble I'll pull you out as soon as I can, but—"

"Bonnie," Elena laughed, trying to lighten the fear on her friend's face. "This is Stefan. It'll be fine."

Bonnie didn't look convinced. She gestured to the circle she'd drawn in the living room, across from the cauldron and the items she had gathered.

Elena glanced back at Damon, who nodded once at her. She nodded back, swallowing the surge of pain and guilt she felt, and took her place across from Bonnie.

The witch began chanting, the candles surrounding the circle sparking to light. She tossed the hair they had gathered from Stefan's hair brush into the cauldron with Elena's, chanting as she began tossing in herbs and some liquid.

Elena felt darkness begin to consume her. It was almost like blacking out, her vision fading away and spotting as if she were losing oxygen. She was falling, being sucked into a deep, endless chasm.

And then a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced before. A sensation of merging, of coming out of the darkness. As if her very soul had stepped from her body and into another.

She opened her eyes.

There was blood everywhere. Limbs ripped free from bodies that still crawled on the ground, moaning in pain. The grand living room, dark with night and lit only by the roaring fire in the magnificent fire place was furnished in old, heavy furniture. It was like stepping back in time, straight back into the 1800s.

And it was all covered in blood.

Blood and bodies. Everywhere she looked.

No. Not her.

_Stefan._

Her hands loosened, a body collapsing to the ground at firm, sturdy feet. His feet. Stefan's. His jeans were stained in blood, almost as if each of his victims had been trying to leave their mark on him. She tried not to believe it; tried to convince herself Bonnie had made a mistake and sent her to a stranger, but she could see his hands. Knew his hands as well as she knew her own.

_Stefan had done this._

He turned, and she turned with him, so sharply she was dizzy. Klaus stood at the entrance to the living room from the darkened hallway, a young woman under each arm. They were clearly compelled, subdued and calm despite the carnage in front of them.

"I've brought more," Klaus announced, a coy smirk curling up his lips.

Stefan was suddenly _there_, standing in front of one of the girls. Elena felt him hesitate, even as she screamed for him to stop—screaming through her silent tears as she begged him not to do it.

She felt the change come over him. The pure, animal blood lust. She gagged inside of him as she felt the desire swirl within him. Stefan _wanted_ this. He _wanted_ to kill these girls. She knew it was in his nature. He was a vampire, and she wasn't foolish enough to romanticize them, but she had never known how savage the urge was. How much he wanted not just to hunt, but to maim. To slaughter. To torture.

As he dropped the body of the blond girl to the ground, he looked back up at Klaus. Elena curled up in the farthest corner of his mind, afraid to see or hear anymore. "You truly are one of the most vicious I've ever seen," Klaus mused. "I wondered, after you suddenly stopped drinking human blood, if you had truly changed." He smiled, intrigued, and cocked his head at Stefan. "But you can never truly change your nature, can you, Stefan?"

Stefan looked back at the litter of body parts strewn across the living room. "What are we going to do with these?" he asked.

"I'll take care of that," Klaus reassured him. He clapped his hands together crisply. "For now, go get cleaned up and get ready to go."

Stefan stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Where are we going?" he asked, frowning.

Klaus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and guided him to the stairs. "To take over the world," he purred.

When Stefan smiled, a twinge of excitement and thrill running through him, Elena's heart skipped a beat in terror.

And then she was falling, being pulled down into the void. She emerged shaking, crying, her teeth chattering, unable to form a coherent word even as she felt strong arms holding her firmly, embracing her against something solid and firm.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" she heard Bonnie shout, as Elena tried to shove away the thrill of the kill she had felt in Stefan's mind. The joy of watching the life fade from another victim's body.

"What's the matter with her?" she heard Jeremy ask, his voice high with alarm and fear.

The arms holding her gripped her fiercely, wiping clammy sweat away from her face, rocking her gently as she shook them both. "It's okay," she heard his soft voice soothe, his lips brushing her ear. "It's okay, Elena. It's okay. I'm right here. It's okay."

_Damon._

Damon, Stefan's brother. A vampire with a history of more ruthlessness and cruelty than Stefan. Damon's mind… Was it as frightening and vicious as Stefan's? Was it as dark and murderous? Did Damon suppress his urge to kill just because of her?

Were they all just animals under it all, constantly fighting their nature?

"It's okay," she heard him whisper again. "It's okay. I've got you. You're okay. I'm right here."

No. No. She wouldn't believe it. Not for a second. She had seen too much good in them to believe they were just animals who wanted to torture for pleasure. She knew them. She knew their hearts. And no one who just wanted to destroy would be…

Soothing her. Using his dying breath to tell her his life had been worthwhile because he had met her. Doing everything in his power, misguided or not, to keep her safe.

Even if it was in their nature, Stefan didn't give into it. Stefan didn't want to give into it. It was Klaus' influence. Klaus was manipulating him. And Stefan was letting him. That was the price he was paying for Damon's cure.

And when Damon found out, Damon, the overprotective big brother who was barely as strong as a newly-made vampire, would hunt Klaus until he found him.

And then Klaus would kill him.

She had to choose, she realized suddenly, her heart picking up speed in her chest. Her stomach churned and twisted in horror. She had to choose between the two brothers.

"Elena?" She looked up sharply, meeting Damon's gentle expression. His blue eyes were cautious—tender and concerned. She'd stopped shaking uncontrollably, she realized. She had stilled.

And staring into those blue eyes, she knew what she had to do.

Stall.

"I don't remember what happened," she lied. Damon's eyes widened in surprise. "I-I remember this feeling of… falling. And then I saw all this expensive furniture. It was night and a fire was going. But I don't remember anything after that."

Damon's surprised, worried eyes immediately turned sympathetic. He nodded in understanding and hugged her close, his embrace comforting and warm. "It's okay," he reassured her. "We'll find him."

With her face pressed against his chest, she tried desperately not to give into the feelings of guilt gnawing at her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you to everyone who has been reading, and thank you to all who have been reviewing! You guys are amazing! Reading your reviews really makes my day. I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far!

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><p>There was blood everywhere.<p>

Blood and entrails, limbs strewn about as if they had been ripped from flesh and tossed carelessly aside. The brutality of the act was in every inch of carnage left in the monstrous wake.

_Stefan had done this._

Something dripped from the ceiling, cold and thick. She froze, sickened, afraid to look up. But she did, lifting her head.

Her own deathly pale body stared at her from above, pinned to the ceiling, the vacant eyes wide with horror.

And pinning her there, throat to her neck, drinking thirstily, was Stefan.

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><p>"Elena! Elena! Wake up!"<p>

She bolted straight up in the bed, gasping haggardly for breath. Damon sat on the edge of the bed, only inches away, his body tense and warm in the cool morning air.

"Sorry," she panted, trying to dry the tears from her eyes. "Nightmare."

Damon extended a handkerchief. She took it, wiping the sweat and tears off of her face. "Want to talk about it?" he asked, after a moment.

Her mind raced. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't explain without admitting what she had seen through Stefan's eyes. "I was dreaming about death," she told him, trying to avoid lying as much as possible.

Damon nodded, a sorrowful look in his eyes. He lightly ran his fingers from her shoulder to her elbow, then dropped his hand to his lap. "It's no surprise," he admitted quietly. "There's been a lot of it lately."

The sight of Jenna's body, ashen and gray, and her headstone, flashed in Elena's mind. She shuddered at the thought, trying to shake it free. "I'm okay," she assured him. "Sorry. Did I wake you?" She paused, looking around, and suddenly realized she was in Stefan's bed. As comforting and familiar as it was, she felt strangely uneasy in it. She was pretty sure she had fallen asleep on the couch, and didn't remember going to Stefan's room to sleep. "How did I get here?"

Damon flashed a light smile. "I'm not as weak as you think I am," he countered. He stood. "And you didn't wake me."

She looked automatically to the window, where the sky was turning light blue. "You didn't sleep last night?" she asked, frowning up at him. He did look a little paler than he had been the day before, and there were definite circles under his eyes.

"I was trying to figure out where Klaus and Stefan might be. You said it was night where they were, and based on what you were saying about the house, they're probably somewhere in Europe."

Elena's heart skipped a few beats. "Damon, you need to rest," she insisted. "You're still healing."

"Elena, I'm fine," he countered. "Stefan's the one out there, probably being tortured by Klaus. Because of me. There will be plenty of time for rest when he's back here and safe." He pointed at her pillows. "Try to get back to sleep. I'll just be downstairs if you need—"

The idea of sleep and possibly falling back into that dream was almost unbearable. "I'll come, too," she said, tossing back the covers and standing. Damon had put her in Stefan's bed in her jeans and her shirt, and she felt uncomfortable and heavy. And yet the idea of being alone, even to change, frightened her.

Damon studied her for a moment, his sharp eyes missing nothing. Silently, she prayed he wouldn't ask. And then he gestured to the door with a half-smile. "I'll show you what I've got so far," he offered.

She returned the smile with one of her own, silently appreciating everything he didn't say. She followed him down the stairs and to the living room, surveying the coffee table littered in books. Damon picked up an atlas off of the couch, making room for her, and picked his cup up off of the table, going to the serving table to pour himself a glass of blood.

Elena stared, transfixed, as the heavy liquid began to fill the crystal cup.

"Do you think about killing all the time?" she heard herself ask.

Damon paused in pouring, and she drew back, startled at herself. She met his eyes, her mind racing to formulate an explanation as he stared at her.

And then he turned away, replacing the bottle of blood on the serving table. "There was a time it was all I thought about," he told her, his voice quiet. "A time where it was easier to inflict pain on others than feel it myself." He turned back to her, leaning back against the table. "It's kind of like being hungry all the time. You're hungry, and the cow in front of you can stop you from being hungry. So you kill the cow, and eat it, and then you're full for a little while. And then you're hungry again. It's not really different."

She thought about that for a few minutes. "But there's not a constant desire to kill the cow if I'm hungry," she countered slowly.

He arched an eyebrow. "There's not a constant desire to kill humans if I'm hungry, either," he returned.

"Is that because you learned to control it?" she asked. "Or is it because it's not always there?"

He thought about it for a moment. "It's not really different than a child and adult," he finally said. "A child who's hungry will kick and scream and make all sorts of irritating racket until it's fed. It has no concept of right or wrong—just that it has a desire that needs to be met. New vampires are the same way. And as the child grows up and becomes an adult and learns to control its cravings and its temper tantrums and stop being a little monster, it also learns to deal with stomach pains from being hungry. An adult isn't going to steal food from a friend just because it's hungry. They'll wait until they have their own food. And as a vampire gets older and learns to deal with the craving, it's the same way. A newly made vampire is like an adult who's become a child all over again and doesn't know it."

She regarded Damon with a bit of awe. "I never really thought about it like that," she admitted, a little amazed at his insight and the truth in his words.

Damon flashed a light smile at her. She saw a hint of sadness on his face a moment before he turned away, pouring a shot of brandy into his now-empty glass. "I really am okay," he told her, his voice louder and with a strength she hadn't heard from him in what felt like forever. "I can manage just fine on my own. Thank you… for everything…" Elena's heart skipped. She stared at him, stunned with disbelief when he turned back to her, suddenly wearing a cocky smile. "But I'm okay now." His expression softened slightly. "And I'm sure you have things at home you want to take care of."

It took her spinning mind several seconds to realize he had all-but thrown her out.

But… why? No matter what he said, it was obvious he still wasn't strong enough. And he clearly wasn't doing anything to take care of himself. He looked like he was barely staying on his feet. How could she leave him?

And, with a surge of guilt and fear, a tiny voice in the back of her mind wondered if she even wanted to.

There had to be a reason Damon had suddenly suggested she leave. It wasn't because he was strong enough. Was it because of Stefan? Was Damon feeling guilty because of… whatever had happened between them?

No. That couldn't be it. Damon had made it clear he thought the kiss and everything between them meant nothing. That it was something that just happened because he was on the verge of death.

So then why?

She stood, frowning at him, trying to see through his masks. "I'm not leaving until you're better," she told him firmly.

"Elena, I'm better," he insisted. "And if you're afraid of me, it's better for you to go home—"

"Afraid of you?" she repeated, shaking her head in confusion. Damon had been on the verge of death and hadn't tried to harm her. He had never tried to harm her. He never would. Why would she be afraid of Damon?

And then she realized. Damon thought her questions were about him. About his past.

She quickly shook her head. "No. Damon. I'm not afraid of you. I wasn't asking because I'm afraid of you. I was just…" her mind fought frantically to come up with something believable, "thinking about it. When you were sick, you never attacked me, or anybody else. But Rose did."

She watched him visibly relax, turning away from her, and wondered if Damon had always been so emotional—so vulnerable and afraid of hurting her—and was only just now seeing it. He poured another shot of brandy, and staring at his back, she had an almost uncontrollable urge to wrap her arms around his waist and bury herself against him.

She sat back down on the couch and picked up the atlas, holding it out to him. "Do you want to show me what you've found so far?" she asked.

He turned back, polished off the contents of his glass, and joined her on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thank you to all of you who have been reading and to all of you who have been reviewing! You guys are amazing, and I am so happy that you're enjoying the story and coming back to keep reading! Thank you so much!

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><p>"Jer?" Elena asked, frowning at the sight of her little brother. "Are you okay?"<p>

He flashed her a bright grin, as if trying to force down the exhausted look on his face. "Fine," he reassured her. "Go. Have fun."

Elena hesitated, nodding, and gave him a quick squeeze on the arm as she stepped past him and out the front door.

"You guys behave!" Caroline yelled down the hall, to the living room. "We'll be back with food soon, so don't do anything drastic while we're gone. Like resort to cannibalism. It's gross."

Elena and Bonnie exchanged a look and turned to Caroline, who pulled the door shut behind her. At their faces a sheepish grin broke out on her face and the three burst into giggles, heading to Caroline's car.

They were about half-way to the Mystic Grill when from the front seat, Bonnie turned around to look back at Elena. "So what really happened when you connected with Stefan?" she asked, her face serious and full of concern.

Elena's heart plummeted into her stomach. She nervously darted a look up in the rearview at Caroline, whose wide blue eyes met hers in surprise. Elena looked back at Bonnie. "I told you guys, I don't remember—"

"That's not how it works, Elena," Bonnie told her quietly, her voice firm. "I didn't say anything yesterday since it seemed like you didn't want the others to know. But I know you remember."

Caroline's voice was full of disbelief. "Did you find him?" Caroline asked, stunned. "Elena, why wouldn't you tell us about that? What happened? Is he okay?"

Elena tried to control the churning in her stomach. "He was… with Klaus," she finally admitted. "I think… I think Klaus is using him to torture people." She looked up quickly at Bonnie, then into the mirror at Caroline's horrified eyes. "We can't tell Damon!" she rushed on. "If he finds out what Stefan is doing, he's going to track down Klaus and he's going to get himself killed trying to save Stefan because he feels like this is his fault."

"But we have to save Stefan," Caroline objected, frowning. She looked over at Bonnie, as if seeking support.

"I know we do," Elena agreed, her stomach twisting. "But I needed time to think of what to say that wouldn't make Damon charge across the world hunting Klaus in the state he's in to try to save Stefan. It wouldn't save Stefan and it would only get him killed in the process."

Caroline's perfectly-shaped eyebrows drew together in a frown. "What if you just said you heard Klaus talking to Stefan about what he was going to have Stefan do?"

"Damon would still go chase Klaus down," Elena told her, trying not to cry. "At the end, Klaus told Stefan they were leaving to go conquer the world." She shuddered at the memory of the surge of triumph that had run through Stefan. "Damon thinks they're somewhere in Europe, but they could be gone by now."

"Can't we just do a locator spell?" Caroline asked, looking over at Bonnie.

"I already tried," Bonnie explained. "The witch they have with them is blocking them. That's why we had to do the connection in the first place." She turned to the backseat and lightly squeezed Elena's leg. "We'll find him," she promised. "I'm sorry for asking. It's just… The stories of humans who connect with vampires aren't good. Sometimes they're fine, but sometimes the primal urge inside the vampire's mind nearly consumes the person's mind."

Elena tried not to shudder at the thought. She could almost understand that. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forget the horrific thoughts she had overheard in Stefan's mind.

She forced herself to smile. "I'm fine," she lied.

Bonnie smiled in response. "I should have trusted you would be. This is Stefan, right?"

"Right," Elena echoed. She turned and stared out the window, trying not to cry.

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><p>"I have an idea," Bonnie announced, a resolved look on her face as she surveyed the occupants of the room.<p>

Elena studied her with a frown. "An idea?" she repeated, uneasy. As much as she loved Bonnie, Bonnie's ideas were usually life-endangering to herself, and she was usually nearly impossible to reason with.

"I can borrow some of the witches' powers," Bonnie declared. "It might give me enough strength to break through the barrier his witch created around them."

"No," Jeremy objected, shaking his head emphatically. They all turned to look at him as he turned to her. "The last time you walked out of that house, you were covered in blood. You said they were mad at you."

"I'll be fine—" Bonnie insisted, smiling encouragingly, as she reached for his hands.

"No," Jeremy stated adamantly. He lowered his voice, his eyes burning into hers intently. "You're going to get yourself killed, Bonnie."

Elena's heart ached at the sight—at watching her little brother plead with his girlfriend to save herself. Bonnie's mouth opened to fight back, to argue her point further. "Jeremy's right, Bonnie," Elena agreed, shaking her head at her best friend. "It's too dangerous. You can't keep using their powers."

"Besides," Jeremy continued, turning from Elena and back to Bonnie, who looked unhappy that they were disagreeing with her, "They probably wouldn't like you using their powers to find a vampire. You know how they feel about them."

"Maybe they won't want to help me find Stefan," she conceded. Elena felt herself start to relax for a second until Bonnie straightened. "But they will want to help me find Klaus." She looked around the room, seeking support from the others. "He's unnatural. If the witches sealed his werewolf side to keep balance in nature, then now that it's been released, nature is out of balance. They'll help me if I offer to help seal his werewolf side back up."

"Bonnie—" Jeremy started.

"Bonnie, no!" Elena objected immediately, a spark of terror running through her. She knew it. She knew all of Bonnie's ideas would lead to Bonnie's demise. She lowered her voice. "Using that kind of power… It would kill you."

"It's the only way, Elena," Bonnie argued quietly. "Balance must be restored. It's not just about Stefan. I'm a witch. It's my responsibility to restore harmony."

Bonnie's logic was infallible. Except for one thing. One _important_ thing. "It will kill you," Elena reminded desperately. "Bonnie, you can't."

"I have to do what's right," Bonnie countered firmly. She looked around the room, then back at her, finally standing and approaching. Elena looked pleadingly into Bonnie's warm brown eyes as her friend stared back with her cool, intelligent gaze. "Elena, this is our chance to find Stefan. And for me to pay back the witches who have lent me their power. By fulfilling their wishes."

"Their wishes aren't for you to die," Elena begged, knowing she was losing the battle.

"Then they'll protect me," Bonnie returned simply. She stood again, determined and calm, and began gathering her things.

The others slowly began doing the same, an uneasy hush around the room. As the group began to filter out of the room, Elena caught sight of Damon at the serving table, throwing back the last few drops of blood from his glass. He was still disturbingly pale, a sickly look about him that just seemed to be getting worse by the hour. He was still sick. Too sick to enter the witches resting place. Elena looked between him and the hallway, hesitantly approaching his side. As much as he would hate being left behind, Damon would have to wait for them to come back.

He looked up at her, and to her surprise, offered a slight, reassuring smile. The tender look on his face was so jarring, so unexpected, she unconsciously sucked in a breath, unable to look away from him. "Don't worry," he said, his voice gentle. "She'll be fine. She's right. The witches will want Klaus' werewolf side sealed back up as much as we want Stefan back. They won't hurt her."

She stared at him as she tried to process his words, trying to figure out what he was talking about. What did the witches wanting Klaus' werewolf side sealed back up have to do with Damon needing to stay at home? Needing to get some rest?

And then a sickened jolt went through her. He was referring to Bonnie. He thought her look of concern was for Bonnie. For Bonnie's safety. Bonnie's health.

Damon would never think of her worrying about him.

She steeled herself—her fluttering nerves, which felt like firecrackers snapping inside of her. "You should stay here," she told him, trying to keep her voice firm.

He returned her words with a blank stare. "What?" he asked back, a brief look of confusion crossing his features. "Why?"

She pointed at the nearly-empty pitcher of blood he had filled only an hour earlier. "That's why." He followed her finger, then started to turn away, a frown on his face. "Damon!" she tried quickly, reaching for his arm to stop him. He stopped, a scowl marring his striking features. "You're not strong enough to go in there," she all-but begged. "Even at full-strength it was difficult for you. You stayed up all night trying to figure out where Stefan is, and you can't do that to yourself yet. You need to _rest_."

He frowned down at her. "Elena, I'm fine," he objected unhappily. It was so unlike him, speaking in such a subdued, arguable tone, that she felt something inside of her tug with a yearning she almost didn't recognize.

But then, in her mind's eye, she saw his flirtatious grin and sparkling eyes. His voice in her head said, _"I'll stay if you do."_

And then she flashed back to reality, and saw Damon's face, staring back at her in something akin to a scolded child, and realized what was wrong.

She missed Damon.

"Stay," she ordered, her voice trembling. And then she spun on her heel and all-but ran for the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Thank you guys so much for all of your amazing, supportive reviews! It is really so wonderful to read all of them. Sorry I haven't responded yet... It's been a long week and it's not over yet, but I promise I will get to them, and reading them really brightens my day when I need it most!

ANYWAY. Thank you again to all of you for review, and to all of you who are coming back every couple of days to read! I hope you're enjoying the story! :)

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><p>Elena looked at the candles surrounding her in a mixture of dismay and dread, watching as Bonnie knelt on the ground. In one hand she clutched one of Stefan's watches. In front of her, a large map of Europe.<p>

The lights around the four—Caroline had remained outside and Tyler had opted to stay with her—burst to life in a sea of yellow. Elena frowned down at her friend, her stomach twisting with anxiety.

Bonnie was going to get herself killed.

Bonnie began chanting, softly at first, and then louder. It was trance-like, almost nonsense. And then she suddenly jerked, her body seizing. Elena quickly took a step forward, alarmed. "Bonnie?" she asked worriedly, her voice rising in panic.

"Bonnie!" Jeremy exclaimed, over her. His eyes were wide with horror, darting across Bonnie as she spasmed again. "Bonnie! Stop!"

Bonnie let out a scream, a cry of heart-wrenching agony. "Bonnie!" Elena cried, darting for her. She cried out as something grabbed a hold of her arm, keeping her at bay. She looked up quickly to see Alaric, his hand firmly wrapped around her, his eyes heavy with concern despite his strong expression.

"Ric—" Elena objected desperately, when Bonnie let out another desperate wail of pain.

"Bonnie!" And then Jeremy was running at the witch, reaching for her—

And flying backwards across the room, slamming against the wall and slumping to the ground in a heap.

"Jeremy!" Elena screamed. She whirled on Bonnie. "Bonnie, stop!" she pleaded desperately. She looked helplessly at Alaric, needing guidance, needing strength, needing…

A parent.

Someone who could make all the bad things stop. Someone who could control this horrible, chaotic, explosive situation.

Alaric looked left and right. And then he grimly released Elena's arm. "Go check on Jeremy," he instructed.

From the ground, Bonnie fell forward, her body jerking in unnatural twists. Another cry escaped her lips. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Elena hesitated, but rushed to her brother's side. She felt desperately for a pulse, hugging him to her when she felt it. She looked up at Alaric, who had picked up a large beam resting on the floor.

And then he swung it at a row of the candles.

A burst of air blew through the room. Bonnie let out another ear-piercing scream. Elena covered Jeremy, sheltering him even as she watched Alaric shield himself from the burning air.

And then there was silence.

Elena watched as Alaric dropped the piece of wood onto the floor, the clatter echoing on the stone floor. He quickly approached Bonnie, kneeling beside her to feel for a pulse. "Is she…?" Elena asked, barely able to form the words.

Alaric's concerned face smoothed. He hoisted Bonnie up into his arms. "She's alive," he said. "I'll be back for Jeremy in a minute."

Elena nodded, relief coursing through her. She hugged her little brother to her, cradling him. She stared at the spot Bonnie had been laying, trembling. It had all seemed to happen so fast. One minute Bonnie had been chanting, and the next…

She had known it had been a bad idea. She should have tried to stop Bonnie. She should have stopped her. Bonnie was always risking her life to try to save them, and one day, she was going to get herself killed. They had been lucky this time, but the witches were angry. Elena could almost feel their anger… The anger of the spirits. It surrounded them, a menacing, dangerous presence.

Alaric reappeared, strong and soothing, in charge. He knelt down and easily lifted Jeremy from Elena's embrace, looking down at her. She stood quickly, meeting Alaric's troubled eyes. "Go," Alaric instructed, nodding the path out of the room.

Elena understood without another word. Alaric wanted her to leave first. Wanted her to leave ahead of him, ensuring her safety. She felt an overwhelming gratitude toward him, nodding back, and hurriedly headed up the stairs. She wanted out of there. She wanted out and never wanted to return.

She stopped short as soon as she crossed over the threshold of the house, eyes widening in astonishment, horror, and guiltily, relief.

Damon, still holding Bonnie in his arms, was suddenly _there_, a hand to her cheek, holding onto the back of her head as he studied her. His eyes darted back and forth across hers, as if trying to read through her for any signs of harm.

Elena nodded, against his hand. "I'm okay," she assured him, her voice trembling more than she would have liked. She hated the gratitude she felt at the sight of him; the sense of security. With Damon around, nothing would happen to them. He would never let anything happen to them. He would die trying to protect her and everyone she cared about, and she knew it, and they knew it. And she hated herself for taking comfort in that when he should have been at home resting. When she had left him at home resting.

But it wasn't the time for that. He was there, now, and Bonnie and Jeremy were hurt. "Bonnie, is she…?" Elena looked down at the girl in his arms, breaking his hold of her face.

He looked down at the unconscious girl, whose expression was still twisted in a grimace of pain. "She's alive," he told her, his voice dulled. "But we should get her out of here."

"I could give her some blood," Caroline offered, a few steps away. She and Tyler both looked shaken at what they had heard, and Elena could only imagine what they had been thinking, trapped outside while listening to Bonnie screaming and howling inside. "It might wake her up."

Alaric leaned back from setting Jeremy into his car. "Probably not a great idea," he admitted. He gestured Damon to the car, to indicate he set Bonnie in beside Jeremy. "Not until we know what the witches did to her. They might not like vampire blood running through her system."

"But maybe it will make them see that we're a friendly sort," Caroline suggested, smiling with a light-hearted smile that died even as she gazed back at the foreboding house. She shuddered and looked back at the others uncomfortably. "Can we just get out of here?" she begged. "My skin feels like its burning."

"Burning?" Elena repeated, startled.

Caroline nodded, running her right hand along her left forearm. Then she flinched, her pretty face scrunching up in pain. "After Bonnie started screaming. We all tried to run in, but there was a barrier around the house, and then the air suddenly felt like… I don't know. Like being outside without a ring on." She reached to rub her arm again, then seemed to think better of it and rolled up her sleeve instead.

Elena gasped in horror as Caroline's pretty white flesh suddenly started to crackle, burning and searing right before their eyes.

Caroline uttered a small cry of pain. The next few moments were full of commotion. Damon was at her side before Elena could blink, yanking on her and throwing her in the car, slamming the door shut. Tyler was in at her side just a few seconds later, stripping off his jacket and covering her with it as she trembled violently, making small sounds of disbelief.

"Get to the house," Damon ordered Alaric firmly.

Alaric's eyes were wide. "What about you?" he asked Damon, looking him over.

Elena's heart skipped. Under Damon's black leather jacket, he could be burning the same way Caroline was. Her heart squeezed in her chest, terror churning her stomach.

"I'm fine," Damon told him flatly.

"Damon—" Alaric started, frowning.

"Go!" Damon ordered. He started for his car.

"I'll go with him," Elena told Alaric quickly, hurrying after Damon. He looked up over the roof of the car as she appeared at his passenger door, her heart racing in her chest as he opened the driver's side door.

"I'm not burning," he told her, a heavy frown of concern on his face. And then he pulled open his door.

Her heart skipped a beat in relief. Then she quickly hopped into the car, slamming the door shut behind her.

"You're not?" she asked, studying him closely.

"No." He threw the car into drive, the tires squealing in protest as he followed Alaric quickly out of the house's yard.

"Then why is Caroline…?" Elena asked, knowing he couldn't really have the answer, but needing to ask, needing to speculate with someone. Needing to figure it out and save one of her best friends.

Damon's face was set in a firm, stone-hard frown. "I don't know." The engine gunned as they flew out onto the open road, racing toward the Salvatore house. "But I nearly died because I trusted her love of a werewolf. I'm not letting her die from a little sun burn until she pays me back."

Elena swallowed hard, nodding to herself, taking comfort in his words. Because Damon had saved Caroline. And Tyler. And he had nearly died in the process, but he had done it. And he wouldn't stop until he saved all of them again. The anti-hero.

Assuming he survived himself.

She slowly looked over at him. "Are you sure you're not…" she couldn't even make herself say the words, "that you're okay?"

He pushed up the sleeve of his jacket and stuck his exposed arm into the sunlight coming through the dashboard. The white skin, ashen with exhaustion, didn't change.

Overwhelming relief washed over her. She reached out and squeezed his hand between her own. "I know I told you to stay home," she said, meeting his eyes when they looked over at hers, "but I'm really glad you were there."

His blue eyes flickered at her. He lightly squeezed her hand and released it, gripping onto the steering wheel.

And Elena forced down the odd feeling of sorrow bubbling up inside of her.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed-I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet, but I will very soon! Thank you for reviewing, and thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy!

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><p>"How are you feeling?" Elena asked, watching as Tyler handed Caroline another cup of blood.<p>

The Salvatore house was completely dark, all the curtains drawn. Caroline's skin had healed long ago, but the burns had left her weak, and more than that, shaken at what had happened.

"I'm okay," Caroline assured her. She smiled up at Tyler, taking the proffered cup. He rejoined her on the couch, an arm sliding behind her shoulders, a heavy frown of concern marring his handsome features.

"Drink, Caroline," he instructed.

Elena turned to look back at her brother, who was still laying on one half of the couch, slumped and unconscious. Bonnie was on the other half, unmoving.

"Does it say anything about overloading on witchy goodness?" she heard Damon ask Alaric.

Alaric shook his head. "No. Just that using too much power too often can lead to a myriad of consequences for a witch."

Damon turned away in annoyance. "Well that is a wealth of useless information." He turned and faced Bonnie's still form on the couch. "Hey. Madame Curie. Wake up!"

Jeremy suddenly bolted up from the couch, gasping raggedly for breath. They all jumped in surprise and disbelief, staring at him as he began coughing. Elena shook herself, quickly kneeling at his side.

"Jeremy?" she asked, placing her hands on his knees. "Jeremy, are you okay?"

He continued coughing, trying to catch his breath, then looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes. "Bonnie," he said, staring at her, then looking up at the others. He quickly scanned the room, finally catching sight of her beside him. His eyes flickered in terror and he knelt at her side. "Bonnie…. Oh god, Bonnie…"

"Jeremy!" Elena insisted. "Are you okay?"

Jeremy looked back at her wildly, then, to her confusion, looked up at something over her head. She looked back, but Alaric and Damon were still over at the chairs. She slowly looked back at Jeremy, her heart skipping in fear.

"They can't!" Jeremy protested desperately. "They can't do that to her!"

Elena's blood ran cold. "Jeremy!" she cried, grabbing his arm.

Jeremy ignored her. "She's tried to help everyone!" Jeremy insisted. "They can't just steal her powers!"

Elena gaped at him in terror, then again back over her shoulder. Jeremy was still talking to air. She looked back at her brother, shaking his arm desperately. "Jeremy!" she cried, watching his eyes finally snap to her. "There's no one there!"

Jeremy slowly let out a deep breath. He sat back on his heels, glanced back over Elena's head, over at Bonnie, and then finally met Elena's eyes. "Yes, there is," he told her, his voice quiet. He hesitantly looked around the room. "Anna and Vicki have been following me around since Bonnie brought me back from the dead."

Disbelief shot through her. "Anna… and Vicki?" she asked, stunned. "You mean their spirits?"

He nodded slowly, then looked back down at Bonnie. He reached out and squeezed her motionless hand. When he spoke, his voice was strangely… subdued. "They said I cheated my time. I had a natural death, and I was unnaturally brought back to life. They said death is looking for me now, and I need to be careful."

Death… was looking for him? Death was coming for her little brother? For Jeremy? No. No. It couldn't be. They had all cheated death—so many times. Herself included. Death couldn't be coming for Jeremy. She wouldn't let it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice trembling in fear.

He looked over at her, frowning. "Tell you what? That I'm going to die? After everything we've been through? You think I wanted to tell you that you were going to lose someone else?" He released Bonnie's hand and took hers. "Anna and Vicki are looking out for me, Elena. They're watching over me."

Elena squeezed his hand firmly. "We're going to fix this," she promised, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes. "We're going to fix all of this."

Jeremy looked back at Bonnie, letting go of Elena's hand to take Bonnie's again. "They said the witches took Bonnie's powers," he said softly. "That they undid her spells." He looked over to his left, at the air, then over at Caroline. "Anna says that's why your ring doesn't work."

Elena looked over at Caroline, who automatically looked down at the ring on her finger. She stared at it in disbelief, then up at Jeremy.

"But you're alive," Caroline countered, stunned.

Jeremy looked back at his left. He listened for another minute. "Anything currently enchanted," he corrected. "Or that she's cast a spell on. She brought me back in the past."

Caroline scowled, but her pretty features smoothed instantly. "At least you're still okay," she said. She looked down at the ring on her finger. "I can get a new one."

Elena watched as Damon walked over to the blond, holding out his hand to her. Caroline looked up at him with a slight frown, then hesitantly pulled off her ring and placed it in his hand. He closed it in his fist, walking back to Alaric and handing it to him. Alaric took the ring, pocketing it.

"You and I are going to take a little field trip," Damon told him. He turned back to Elena. "You stay here." Then he turned to Caroline and Tyler. "You stay here and make sure nothing _else_ bad happens?" He and Alaric headed to the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Elena protested, getting to her feet. Damon hadn't gotten any sleep in almost two days. He was still weak from the werewolf bite. He shouldn't be running around. Why did he keep pushing himself?

Damon swung back, arching an eyebrow at her. "The Homecoming Princess—"

"Homecoming Queen," Caroline corrected.

Damon looked over at her in blank annoyance. "…needs her ring re-enchanted. I know a witch. We'll be back."

"Damon, you can't—" Elena argued.

Damon turned to Caroline. "I'm leaving you in charge," he told her. "Don't disappoint me. I did almost die saving you."

Caroline's eyes lowered a brief look of regret and sorrow. And then she looked up at him, her eyes firm and… open. Accepting. "You also used to snack on me like I was a Denny's, open 24x7."

Damon stared back at her, and Elena realized that something was happening between them, a moment of understanding and forgiveness.

Damon leaned in toward her as he started to pass by her. "You liked it," he reminded teasingly, his voice low. With his back to them, he instructed, "Don't get in any more trouble while we're gone!"

"Find me a prettier ring!" Caroline called back at him. "That thing is hideous!"

"Suffer in silence like the rest of us!" Damon ordered. The door slammed shut.

When they were gone, Elena slowly surveyed the occupants of the room. Then she slowly knelt beside her brother to await Damon and Alaric's return.

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

Elena carefully brought the glass of blood to Damon's bedside, watching as he set aside the book he was reading. She held it out to him, watching as his pale, almost gray hand reached for the glass.

"Is that one of the books the witch gave you and Alaric?" she asked, perching on the edge of the bed.

He nodded, taking a drink from the glass as she picked it up. She flipped through the hand-written journal, the pages old and brittle with time. "One of these has to have a way to restore Bonnie's powers."

Elena grimly set the book aside. "For now I'll settle for her waking up."

Damon's face was sympathetic and caring as he reached for her hand. Her heart gave a light flutter as he squeezed it, unable to look away from his bright blue eyes. "She will. And we'll figure out a way to get Death off Jeremy's back." He slowly released her hand, offering her a somewhat sad smile. "And save Stefan."

_Stefan_. Her eyes fell to his chest, unable to hold his eyes any longer. Stefan. Her boyfriend. The man she loved. The very same man who had risked his life for her and who had traded his life for his brother's. And yet she had barely spared him a thought since Bonnie had collapsed earlier that day. She was a horrible person. A traitorous person.

But even as she stared at Damon's chest, she remembered resting her head on his shoulder, testing the feel of it as he had laid dying in this very bed, his hand covering hers—protecting her to the very end. It had taken her only twice to get it right—to fit herself perfectly onto his shoulder, finding comfort and security in his arms.

And even as she stared at the spot, she fought back the overwhelming desire to curl herself into it again, wanting to rest against him and push away all the bad memories from the day. To push away everything happening around them. She knew she shouldn't. She knew she couldn't. It was wrong. It was a betrayal of the worst kind, especially with everything Stefan had sacrificed for her and Damon.

And Damon loved her. Damon did love her. He had told her. And even before he had told her, she had known. She had always known. And because he loved her, he expected nothing from her. Because he loved her, he knew she had nothing to give him. For the first time, Elena really felt like Damon understood her.

And it made her heart feel like it was shattering inside her chest.

"Elena?" There was concern in his gentle voice. Gentle… when was Damon's voice ever so gentle? Was he always like this when he was alone? When he was with someone he cared about? She looked up at him, realizing her vision was blurred, and blinked, feeling tears fall onto her eyes. His worried, strikingly handsome face came into focus, his blue eyes bright as he studied her. His face shifted into sympathy, and she was slowly pulled into a warm, soothing embrace. "He's going to be okay," he said, his voice soft and consoling. "Stefan's strong. He's going to be fine. We'll get him back." She felt his lips against his hair as he let out a soft sigh. "I promise."

Unable to make herself speak, she nodded against his chest, against the spot on his shoulder that was alarmingly comfortable. She hated herself, then. Hated the solace she took in his embrace. In his, Damon's, the ruthless, blood-thirsty murderer who could be unnervingly tender.

She forced herself to pull away, hesitantly looking up at him. "What were you like when you were… at your worst?" she asked.

His eyes flickered, a brief frown crossing his features. "Stefan… can't compare to how I was," he answered slowly. "He'll never do anything like I did."

Stefan. There it was again. That name that drove daggers straight into her heart. She swallowed hard. "Stefan already told me what he was like at his worst," she told him quietly. "He told me he was a monster."

Damon looked away. "Monstrous doesn't begin to cover the things I've done," he said, his voice low.

"Tell me." It wasn't so much a request as a command, and when she met his eyes, she saw the uneasiness in his eyes.

"Why?" he countered. "I'll pay someday. Maybe another werewolf bite, so when I get bitten I'll know exactly what kind of super-happy death I'm going to have. Or maybe a witch will make me her pet plaything for a few decades before finally putting me out of her misery."

"Because I want to know." And she didn't know why she had the burning need to know, except she did. She needed to know what made Damon… Damon. She needed to know all of his bad choices. All of the horrible things he'd done. She needed to know if she could still think about him the same way at the end.

He let out an unhappy breath. "I slaughtered a bunch of people without thinking about it," he stated, so matter-of-factly she sucked in a breath. "I snapped a lot of people's necks without even seeing their faces. I drained people dry inches from their front doors. I compelled every beautiful woman I could find into being walking blood bags and kept them in my house to feed me at command until I grew tired of them, and then I drained them or snapped their necks."

"Did you torture them?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Trying to picture the tender, protective, sarcastic Damon she knew doing all these horrible things.

He made a face. "Torture them?" he repeated. "Why would I torture them? Tortured people scream a lot and lose a lot of blood that I could have been using to eat. I killed them before that."

She was, oddly, comforted by his words. The image of the carnage she had seen through Stefan's eyes flashed in her mind. She repressed the urge to shudder, dropping her eyes to his chest. If nothing else, Damon had given his helpless victims a swift death. The hideous scene she had seen didn't look swift or painless. It looked… agonizing. Unimaginable.

She stood. "Drink," she ordered, pointing to the glass he had at some point set on the nightstand. "And get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

He frowned at her, his eyes flooded with concern. "Elena—"

She headed to the door. "Good night, Damon." She turned to face the doorway, drawing back with a gasp when he was suddenly in front of her, frowning down at her.

"It's rude to interrupt," he admonished. His eyes darted between hers. "Why the sudden interest in my history?" He frowned, his expression falling serious. "You think Klaus is going to make Stefan into me?" He offered a light smile. "Don't worry. He'll never go for it. Whatever Klaus has planned for Stefan, he's not stupid. Stefan's too human now. He'll fall apart if he tries."

If she hadn't seen the massacre Stefan had left behind for herself, or felt the elation inside of him, she would have believed it, too.

But now she couldn't. Whether it was Klaus' influence or not, it was Stefan doing it. Stefan had murdered those people. And he hadn't fallen apart.

"Get to sleep," she instructed, lowering her eyes and pointing back at the bed. "You need rest."

When he didn't move, she turned back to look at him. He had turned alarmingly gray, his eyes glassy. She let out a slight cry, catching him as he staggered on his feet. "Damon," she pleaded. "Come on. It's okay. I've got you." She half-carried him to the bed, quickly snatching up the glass on the table and guiding it to his mouth. "Come on," she urged. "Drink."

"I can feed myself," he complained weakly, taking the cup away from her. She watched, relieved, as he downed the contents in a few gulps, panting for breath when he was done. She took the cup away, pushing his damp hair away from his forehead.

"This is why you need to rest," she insisted. "You're still weak, Damon, whether you want to admit it or not."

"I'm fine," he claimed, grimacing.

"You look terrible," she shot back. She felt her heart ache as he made a face at her. She smoothed back his hair one more time, then let her hand fall to his shoulder. "Get some rest," she requested. "Call if you need anything."

He let out a soft breath. "Good night, Elena," he said, his voice low and tired.

She paused in the doorway, clicking off the bedroom light, and looked back at him. "Good night, Damon," she said softly. Then she pulled the door shut behind her.

And then she leaned against the wall beside his door and slid down against it, bringing her knees to her chest as she let out a deep, heavy sigh.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: A little reprieve from the angst! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and sticking with it! Thank you so much!

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><p>There were people everywhere.<p>

Caroline easily cut through the crowd, tugging on Elena's hand to lead her to an open spot near the middle. Elena led Bonnie, who led Jeremy. Tyler brought up the rear, falling in behind Caroline as they clustered together in the tightly-pressed bodies.

"This is fun, isn't it?" Caroline insisted, her blue eyes shining with excitement.

Elena nodded, trying to force herself into the moment. When Caroline and Tyler had returned with lunch earlier that day, Caroline had eagerly waved the flyer in front of them, insisted they needed to celebrate Bonnie waking up. When it seemed like no one was going to agree, Caroline had pointed out they were getting nowhere with the books in front of them, and they needed to get out and remind themselves there was still a real world out there. And despite everything happening in their lives, Elena had to agree. So she had forced herself to get dressed and had agreed to come with the others, feeling oddly conspicuous as the only one without a date.

She briefly missed Stefan, her heart aching a little at the thought of her boyfriend. And almost as suddenly, the image of the blood-stained walls filled her mind and she shuddered, trying to brush the thoughts from her mind. She and her friends were there to have fun and not think about their troubles—and she was determined to do just that.

The band was enthusiastic and fun, playing rock music that seemed to pump the already-energetic crowd with adrenaline. Elena found herself laughing with her friends, dancing along with the music. She looked over at her brother, who had his arms wrapped around Bonnie's waist, hugging her as they bopped to the music, grins on their faces. She smiled to herself, looking over at Caroline and Tyler. He was leaning over her, whispering in her ear. Caroline was grinning, large peals of laughter pouring out of her as he pulled away. She nodded enthusiastically, and he grinned in response.

"Well this is just like I pictured," a voice drawled in her ear.

She jumped, looking up in astonishment as a drink was suddenly placed in her hand. Damon stood behind her, alarmingly handsome, a look of bored irritation on his face.

"Damon?" she asked, stunned. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you didn't want to come."

"I still don't," he returned flatly. "But since you seem to want to get lost in a crowd and leave yourself open to attacks from all angles…" He let the sentence trail. "Ric's at home, drowning his sorrows in a bottle of my finest scotch." He winced. "I've been saving that bottle for almost seventy years. He'd better appreciate all that I do for him."

She couldn't resist smiling, pleased he had come. She turned back to the band, suddenly feeling more excited about the music and being out with her friends. Damon needed to get out of the house, too, despite what he said. He, maybe more than any of them, needed a break from reality. From everything happening in their lives.

As they all danced and laughed and sang, Elena looked back up at Damon, who was wearing a small smile of affection as he watched them, amusement in his eyes. She grinned, a little startled at the sight. Somehow she had figured Damon would be leaning back, scowling at everyone in the room. But Damon was a fun guy. He knew how to be the life of the party when he wanted.

She grabbed his hand, watching his eyes snap to hers in surprise. "Mr. Salvatore," she said grandly. "May I have this dance?"

Damon looked like he was barely repressing a grin. "Miss Gilbert," he drawled, bowing deeply at the waist. "I'd be honored."

Elena laughed as he tugged on her hand, pulling her into his arms and spinning her around. They danced and swayed and spun to the music, breathless and full of laughter. She looked over at her friends, who had also paired off, and nodded her head at Jeremy, meeting Damon's eyes. He followed her gaze, a dimpled grin appearing on his face before she was suddenly spun. In a fluid motion, Damon traded her for Bonnie, leaving her in front of her brother.

"Where did you learn that?" Elena asked him, as Damon twirled Bonnie around.

"When you're as old as I am, you learn some party tricks," he teased devilishly. He dipped Bonnie and then brought her back up. "How 'bout it, witch? Think you can stand to dance with your most hated vampire-enemy?"

Some of the happiness in Bonnie's eyes died. "If you try anything, it's not like I can stop you," she pointed out.

He spun her around, pulling her back into his arms. "Guess I'd better behave, then, or else when you get your powers back you'll really make me pay."

To Elena's astonishment, a small smile graced Bonnie's features. "That's right," she agreed.

Damon winked impishly at Jeremy. "I'll take good care of her," he promised teasingly. Then he and Bonnie began dancing, pulling away from them.

Elena laughed with her brother, shaking her head as she wrapped her hand around his shoulder, placing her other in his hand. "I never thought I'd see the day where the two of them would actually be laughing together," she admitted, smiling up at her brother.

Jeremy looked over at them, then back down at her. "Well, Damon's changed," he admitted. "This whole year it's like he's been… I don't know. Becoming nicer. He even let himself get bitten by and almost died just to save Caroline and Matt—and Tyler."

Elena nodded at the thought. Damon had saved them. He had saved people who weren't even his friends—people he barely cared about—just because it was the right thing to do. Because they were Elena's friends.

A year ago, she doubted if he would have made the same choice.

Damon really had changed. He had become someone who cared about other people. Who was willing to risk his life to save them. Who cared about right and wrong. And even though he still made the wrong choices a lot of the time, at least he was able to recognize it. At least he tried to fix his mistakes.

And everything he did, he did out of love.

She shook herself, not wanting to think about that. She looked up at Jeremy, trying to force the thoughts from her mind. "How are you?" she asked him. She cast a quick look around. "Are they… here?"

He arched an amused eyebrow. "Vicki and Anna? Yeah, they're here."

Elena tried not to squirm uncomfortably. "Isn't it weird? Them following you around everywhere?"

He laughed slightly. "It took a little getting used to. But they're here to help me. And until we can figure out how to get Death off my back, it's best if they stick around." He gazed at their left, a longing, affectionate look on his face. "Besides. I loved them. And they loved me. It's good to see them again."

She stilled. She hadn't thought of it like that. She slowly followed Jeremy's gaze. "Thank you for keeping Jeremy safe," she said, to the empty air beside them.

Jeremy suddenly laughed, pulling her back into her arms and giving her a quick spin. "How about you?" he asked, a concerned look taking over his features. "How are you doing? With Stefan being gone?"

She pressed her lips together in a tight smile. The last thing she wanted was to think about Stefan being Klaus' puppet. "I'm dealing," she answered. "At least we know for now he's safe. And yes, I want to save him from Klaus, but right now, we have more urgent things to take care of, like making sure you're safe."

Jeremy flashed a smile. "I'm fine, Elena."

"There is _way_ too much serious conversation going on over here!" Caroline declared, suddenly appearing beside them. "Elena, I'm tagging in!"

Elena laughed as Caroline took her place, wrapping her arms around Jeremy's neck. She turned to Tyler, who laughed and shook his head at Caroline.

"Go on!" Caroline urged, nodding at them. "Dance!"

Tyler laughed again, obediently turning to Elena. "Dance?" he asked her, extending his hand.

Elena placed her hand in his. "I'd love to," she declared, then laughed. He pulled her into his arms, spinning her around.

"Elena," Tyler began hesitantly. She pulled back to look up at him curiously. "I never really apologized…" He met her eyes fleetingly, then looked away. "For everything."

She shook her head, touched at his thoughtfulness, and wanting to reassure him as quickly as possible. "Tyler. Forget it." She smiled encouragingly up at him. "We've been friends since we were kids." Eager to change the subject, she looked over at Caroline, then up at him. "You and Caroline seem pretty close lately, though," she teased.

He looked embarrassed. "We're just… I mean, she just broke up with Matt, and she's… She's really been there for me with all this stuff…"

Elena laughed, squeezing his shoulder. "I'm happy for you—both of you," she assured him. She smiled up at him. "Caroline needs someone who will take care of her. Put her first." She laughed, looking over at Caroline, who had traded partners and was dancing with Damon. "Put up with her craziness."

Tyler followed her gaze, laughing. He studied Damon for a moment. "He's really not a bad guy," he said thoughtfully.

She followed his eyes, nodding her agreement. "He isn't," she confirmed. He looked back down at her and they both laughed at themselves, embarrassed. He gave her a quick spin, both stopping at the sudden clatter that rang out, bodies slamming against them.

Elena staggered on her feet to stay up, Tyler holding her to keep her steady. The Grill was suddenly silent, the music stopped as everyone turned to stare. They both turned swiftly, staring in disbelief as Matt faced off against Damon, Caroline standing between them with a look of shock on her face. Matt struck out firmly, Damon easily dodging the punch. Matt threw his arm out again, Damon catching his fist, his eyes flashing in anger.

"You," he began, his voice dark. "Need some air."

Matt shook him off, tackling Damon around the waist. Damon brushed him off easily, grabbing him by the back of his collar. Matt tried shaking him off, but Damon yanked his arm around his back, pinning him. "If you move, I'll break your shoulder," Damon breathed in his ear. "Move." He gave Matt a shove, Matt's face contorted in pain as they headed to the door.

Elena exchanged a look with Bonnie, and they all quickly chased after Caroline, who had followed the two outside. The music picked back up as they hurried through the door, where Damon had shoved Matt against the wall and he had crumbled onto the concrete.

"Matt," Caroline pleaded, patting him lightly on the cheek. "Matt, are you okay?" She glared up at Damon. "You didn't have to throw him!"

"I didn't throw him!" Damon protested. "And he still wanted to fight! And this is silk!" He tugged on his black shirt.

"It's a club!" Caroline snapped. "Sometimes there's collateral damage!" She turned back to Matt. "Matt? Come on. Wake up."

Matt's eyes fluttered open. "Car?" he asked. His eyes seemed to focus on her, and then the group surrounding him. He winced as he tried to get to his feet, dodging Caroline's hands as she reached for him. "What are you doing?" he asked, frowning at her, then at Damon. He eyed Damon warily, turning back to Caroline. He lowered his voice. "I thought I told you. I don't want anything to do with all of this stuff."

Caroline drew back in surprise. Even Damon frowned in confusion. "You're the one who attacked Damon," she protested.

He looked at her, bewildered. "No I didn't," he said. "Think about what you just said, Car. The guy could snap my spine. Why would I attack him?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Damon drawled.

"But, we all just watched you—" Caroline began, pointing back at the Grill.

Matt held up his hands defensively, shaking his head. "No offense, Car, but… just… leave me alone…" He turned, and without another word, headed back into the Grill.

There was a moment of silence outside. Elena turned to Caroline, whose pretty blue eyes had flooded with tears. She watched as Tyler stepped toward the club, glaring after Matt, as if debating whether he should go attack Matt or not.

"_What_ a douche," Damon declared flatly. Elena looked up, startled, as Damon arched an eyebrow at Caroline. "After you dated me you just couldn't find anyone better, huh?"

Caroline looked up at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. "At least he didn't snack on me when he got hungry."

Damon made a face. "Want to go snack on him?" he offered.

Caroline laughed through her tears, shaking her head. "No, thanks."

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I'll hold him down for you."

"Thanks."

"Come on," Elena said, wrapping an arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Let's go home."

Caroline nodded, tears hanging off her long lashes. Elena gave her a light squeeze and led her to the car.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for all of your wonderful reviews! I am so sorry I haven't had a chance to get back to everyone yet, but please know that your reviews are read and are hugely appreciated, and I WILL get back to you! I am so glad you are all enjoying this story so much... Thank you!

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><p>"All right. I've got water bottles packed with my favorite blood-bank blood, courtesy of Damon," Caroline began, triumphantly holding up the water bottles.<p>

"You're welcome," Damon drawled, flipping another page of his book without looking up.

"My iPad stored with the latest episodes of Gossip Girl," she continued, holding it up and then sticking it into the backpack. "A couple of blankets to keep warm…" She rolled them up and stuffed them in the bag. "And… A change of clothes for Tyler." She held up a separate backpack and turned to the others. "Am I forgetting anything?"

"Your brain?" Damon asked, finally setting down the book to look up at her.

Elena's heart sank as they all turned to him. He stood from the couch, full of nervous energy. He looked better than he had in the last couple of weeks since he'd been bitten, his pale skin milky white, his body radiating energy and life. He didn't tire as easily as he had before, and his tongue was sharp, caustic remarks falling easily from his lips as they always had.

The bright smile died slightly from Caroline's perky, happy face. "What?" she returned.

Damon was scowling. "In case you've forgotten, a werewolf bite can kill a vampire. And you're going to go hang out in the crypt with him, leaving yourself to be the first course."

"I could get a Kevlar jacket," Caroline offered, then paused thoughtfully and looked around the room. "Do you think that would work?"

Damon let out a sound of irritation, just as the front door opened. Alaric appeared at the entrance to the living room, looking sore. He made a face at Damon.

"I hate you," he told Damon flatly.

Damon flashed a grin. He turned to Elena. "Ready for a stroll in the woods?" he asked.

She drew back, startled. "Where are we going?"

He shot a look over at Caroline. "Since Perky McSugar-Rush over there seems to want to get herself killed keeping a werewolf," he turned to Caroline, deliberately enunciating his words, "who won't even remember," Caroline made a face at him even as he turned back to Elena, "company while he goes all vampire- hunter on us, Ric and I thought it would be best to reinforce his cage."

"You did?" Tyler asked, looking surprised.

Damon flashed a mocking smile at him. "Yeah, well, can't have you running around town, terrorizing… us, can we?"

Alaric waved his hands at all of them. "Come on," he ordered, sounding exhausted. "I just hauled steel beams the size of my head and bags of cement that weigh more than I do into my truck, and we've still got to get all this set up before tonight."

As the group trudged outside, Elena held back a few steps, holding onto Damon's sleeve. He swung around, a surprised look on his face.

When they were alone in the room, Elena met his bright blue eyes. "Thank you," she said sincerely, hoping he understood everything in her words—everything she was truly thanking him for. He wasn't just shutting Tyler in to save them from him. He was shutting Tyler in to protect Caroline—to allow her to be close to him when he was at his most dangerous to her. Despite Damon's feelings on werewolves, and everything he had gone through, he was still going to help them.

Damon cupped her face in his hand, a brief, faint touch. Her heart fluttered, skipping into her throat. "Yeah, well," he murmured, his eyes gazing into hers, "can't have him running around stalking us during every full moon."

He released her, stepping away, as if realizing what he was doing. Her breath caught, mourning the contact before she could stop herself. "Let's go," he instructed, gesturing to the door.

She nodded, unable to speak, and led the way out of the house. They climbed into Damon's car, following the others caravanning to the Lockwood estate.

The next few hours were filled with dirt, grime, a lot of digging, and holding steel beams steady while the guys poured and secured cement.

"Are you sure this will dry in time?" Caroline asked nervously, eyeing the wet cement.

"The guy promised it would dry in a few hours," Alaric reassured her.

Caroline still looked unsure, but she nodded, going back to helping Jeremy and Bonnie secure another set of chains to the walls.

Elena was carefully balancing a beam against her shoulder while Damon poured cement and Alaric smoothed it out when a loud, horrific clatter echoed throughout the room. They all jumped, the beam on Elena's shoulder giving a few inches. She braced herself for the impact, looking up when it never came. Damon stood in front of her, holding the beam with one hand. She looked up at him gratefully, even as she turned around to look at the mess behind her.

"What happened?" she asked, surveying the large chunk of stone and fallen chain from the wall. Caroline had Jeremy and Bonnie pressed against the wall opposite wall, safe from the path of damage, but all three looked shaken.

"I was tugging on it to make sure it was secure," Caroline stammered. "It wasn't."

"That's fantastic," Damon snapped. "Now we're down one chain with a few hours to go." He quickly scanned the room, pointing at an open spot. "Hook another one up there." He made a face at Caroline. "And make this one _secure_?"

Caroline made a face at him. Elena looked down at the rubble of crushed stone, relieved no one had been hurt, and turned back to Damon, who righted the beam and went back to pouring cement. They were at it for another minute when they heard Jeremy's voice.

"Hey," he said, sounding surprised. "There's something in here."

They all turned back, watching as Jeremy reached his arm into the hole Caroline had made in the stone, where the chains had been. He emerged with a large, worn, leather-bound journal.

"Let me see that," Tyler ordered, stalking toward him quickly. He snatched the journal from Jeremy's hand, opening it quickly. He scanned the pages as Caroline peered over his shoulder, the room silent as they all waited in curious, stunned anticipation.

"What… is this?" Caroline asked, her breath halted.

"Why did everyone have a journal in this town?" Damon demanded, sounding irritated.

"What's it say?" Elena asked, her heart skipping in nervousness.

"It… it…" Caroline suddenly pulled the journal from Tyler, who protested even as she brought it to Damon. Caroline's blue eyes were unusually large and unsteady. "I think it's your _mother's_."

Elena watched as Damon's look of annoyance faded into astonishment. He hesitated, standing slowly and taking the proffered book almost hesitantly. They were all silent as he slowly flipped it open, scanning the first page. Elena's breath caught in her throat as she stared at his face for any sign of what he was feeling about the words on the page, watching as he suddenly flipped several pages, about a quarter of the way in.

And then he read scanned a few of the lines and looked up in stunned, horrified disgust and disbelief. "You've got to be kidding," he declared.

"What's it say?" Elena asked.

He wordlessly held the book out to her. Her hands shook as she took the book, the carefully scripted writing elegant on the yellowed pages. "How can it be true that my sons, my dear Damon and Stefan, are cursed to follow the same path as the originals themselves?"

There were shifts of horror around the room. "What does that mean?" Caroline asked, her voice tinged with horror. "You and Stefan are cursed? Like the originals?"

Damon glared at her. "Do I look like I know? You just found it!"

"But why would your mother's journal be here, in my family's slave quarters?" Tyler asked, looking around the room in bewilderment.

Damon sneered at him. "You tell me. Check your slave registry."

Tyler gaped at him. Damon gestured around the room, a look of annoyance heavy on his face. "We can worry about that later," he snapped. "Right now, we have to get this place finished before we all get eaten and don't need to worry about what this means anymore."

They slowly got back to work, more silently than they had before. Elena slid the journal into her bag, keeping it on her shoulder for the rest of the day. It was a grueling few hours, but when it was done, the reinforced gate and extra chains looked like something not even Superman would be able to break through. Damon and Caroline had both tried, individually and then together, and neither had been able to make a dent.

They bid Caroline and Tyler quiet goodbyes, trudging home in silence. The journal in Elena's bag seemed to burn.

After her shower, Elena changed quickly, heading back into the living room. Damon was sitting on the couch by himself, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand as he stared at the fire. She slowly held out the journal to him, sinking down beside him on the couch.

He glanced down at the journal in her hand, then back up at the fire. In the flickering light, his damp hair glistened.

"I remember her," he announced quietly. "She had long brown hair. Wavy. And these big blue eyes." He smiled, giving a soft, sad laugh. "They were so bright. And she had this beautiful pale skin. She was always smiling. Always kind to everyone. Such a pure heart."

"What happened to her?" Elena asked, her voice soft.

Damon looked down at the cup in his hand. "She died. Giving birth to Stefan." He swirled the liquid again, then brought it to his lips, draining the contents of the cup. He stood, going to the serving table, and poured himself another drink.

Elena looked down at the journal in her hand, then back up at him. His pain was almost tangible, even now, after all these years. Was it possible to ever really stop missing one's mother? She still missed hers—she didn't think she would ever stop. And clearly Damon hadn't, either.

"The journal mentions a curse," she reminded softly. "One that ties you and Stefan with Klaus and Elijah." She hesitated. "Maybe that's why he didn't kill Stefan, Damon."

"I know," he agreed quietly, without moving. She watched as he seemed to draw strength from somewhere inside of himself, straightening to face her. Face the journal in her hands.

She held it out to him. "I'll be right here," she promised.

His eyes went from the journal to hers. In the swirling blue eyes she could read the uncertainty and gratitude, the overwhelming fear buried deep inside. He nodded, rejoining her on the couch, and flipped the journal to the first page.

And then, by the light of the fire, in the nearly silent house, Damon began to read.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** The great reveal is here! A few have asked how Mama Salvatore could know about Stefan when she died giving birth to him... That was a great catch, and you're about to find out! Also-this chapter and from here-on is **OUT OF CANON**. Trust me, I hate it as much as you do. But in order to write a post season-two story that could (reasonably?) be a season three, I had to create some new mythology. They wrapped it up too nicely in season two! So... I apologize. I really didn't want to do it, there was just no other way. I tried to make it as believable as possible...

And, as always, thank you guys so much for all of your kind comments, encouraging words, and for coming back to read! I'm so happy you enjoy the story!

**Updated author's note:** Okay, so I can't do math... Someone caught I had 1815 for the flashback, and Damon would be in his 50s. My bad. And I don't know how far apart the brothers are... So let's go with four-ish years.

(End longest Author's Note ever!)

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><p>"December fourteenth, eighteen-fifteen," Damon began, his voice low. "It cannot be true. It cannot be true, and yet somehow it is. I know it in my heart. When I look at my little boy, and his beautiful blue eyes gaze back at me, so clear and vivid, my heart cries and screams for the truths to be false. But it is not. The woman has told me the truth. My son, my precious little boy, and the unborn child who still grows inside of me, are cursed."<p>

Elena's eyes flooded with tears, her heart aching. She slowly rested her head on Damon's shoulder, trying to feed him strength through the touch. Trying to support him in any way she could.

"I want to protect my children. I want there to be something I can do to save them—to shield them from the monstrous fate they are destined for. But there is nothing I can do. There is nothing any of us can do but wait. Watch destiny unfold in front of our very eyes. Watch my precious, sweet, caring little boy turn into a vicious, ruthless," Damon's voice caught in his throat, "monster."

Elena squeezed his arm, curling herself around him, trying to reassure him it wasn't true. If only his mother had known he would be reading this, over a hundred years later, would she have written the same thing? They were only words, but they were such hateful words—such wounding, damaging words. If she only knew… Could she have managed to bring pen to paper?

"He is playing in the yard as I write, trying to catch butterflies with Iselle. He has no idea what is to come for him. Who will come for him. What curse was laid upon him before he was even born, simply because he is my child. Oh God, how I hate you for allowing me to give birth if this was to be my child's fate. My dearest son, I would do anything to take this away from you. If you only knew how much I love you. How much I wish I could ease the pain you will have to go through."

Elena squeezed his arm, hugging it between hers. It was all she could do for him. It was all she could offer. She just prayed it was enough.

"At first I could not understand… And then it all made sense. A doppelganger." Damon's voice stilled. Elena's breath caught in her throat. She straightened, lifting her head from his shoulder. He went on, his voice sounding halted. "She is the source of all evil. There to torment the original of her kind. There to bring mischief and malice into the world. No good can ever come of a doppelganger.

"But why my children? Why must my children be cursed? How could I not know? How could I not know of my bloodline? Why should my children pay for the blood that courses through my veins? I want to run outside and tell my son to stay away from the doppelganger—to stay away from all of them—but I know he will not. I know he cannot. I know he is destined to love her. To love all of them. They both are. They are cursed. Oh God, how they are cursed!"

Damon stopped reading.

In the sudden silence, Elena finally remembered to breathe. She slowly pulled away from Damon, who was just staring at the journal in his hands. Her heart slammed against her ribs so fiercely she was sure they would break. Her mind whirled with so many emotions she couldn't even place names to them, unable to think clearly.

"What does that mean?" she finally managed to choke out. "You and Stefan are cursed to love the doppelganger? Why? What was in your mother's bloodline?"

Damon didn't answer. His eyes seemed to refocus on the journal, as if snapping back to reality. "My dearest children… Cursed simply because her blood flows through my veins."

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><p><strong><em>1843<em>**

Mrs. Gianna Salvatore kept her head low, ducking her face beneath her bonnet as she cautiously swept through the gardens. Under the cover of darkness, there was little chance anyone would notice her, especially her husband, whom she had left snoring loudly and undisturbed in their large, grand bedroom on the second story of their expansive, stately home.

The grass was damp with dew from the cold, wetting her stockings as she scurried along the open field. The gravel path would have been too loud and taking it risked bringing too much attention to herself—attention she was desperately trying to deflect with her disguise of dark clothing.

She finally reached the woods, counting the trees from the path leading to her house to get her to the meeting location. When she arrived, panting for breath, her heart fluttering in her chest with anxiety, she waited, her mind swirling.

There was a soft rush of wind around her, and then the unmistakable air of a presence behind her. She whirled around, coming face-to-face with Mrs. Winstrome. The woman's long black hair had been plaited into an elegant braid down her back, a few pieces escaping around her face from under her bonnet, framing her unearthly pale skin and making her dark eyes appear even darker. Her elegant features were striking in the shadows, almost frightening. Her tall stature, regal and majestic, was swathed in a dark dress similar to her own, a long black cloak tied around her shoulders.

"Tell me about my children," Gianna requested breathlessly. "About this curse."

The woman stared at her, an almost pitying look on her face. "They will seek out the doppelganger to the ends of the earth," she said, her voice low and drawn, with an accent that spoke of royalty and wealth. "It is the curse that runs through your veins. You are her descendent."

"A descendent of the doppelganger?" Gianna asked, trembling.

The woman shook her head, just once, never letting her eyes leave Gianna's. "Of the original woman's. The one who came before the doppelganger." Her eyes fell, then, to the tree over Gianna's shoulder. "My son's wife."

"I don't… understand…" Gianna pleaded, shaking her head. "How are my sons involved in this?" She wrapped her arms around her belly, where she could feel her son resting, growing strong inside of her. She thought of her eldest child, at home in his bed, safe and secure from the monstrous reality she was facing. "What original?"

A small, sad smile graced the woman's face. "I had a family once, like you," she said softly. "A son. Another on the way." She placed her hands on her belly, as if feeling the child still in her womb. "Two boys. And then more children after that. We were a happy family. My two eldest boys… They were impossibly close. They were more than brothers—they were each other's closest ally. The bond between them was so strong…" She let out a soft sigh. "I didn't think it could ever be broken." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "When my eldest son married, he looked so happy. He had a beautiful, loving wife, and children… They were his pride and joy."

She stepped away, turning away from Gianna. When she spoke again, her voice was clipped. Angry, after all this time. "What we failed to realize was his wife had taken to listening to nature. Obeying it. And then commanding it."

"Witchcraft," Gianna breathed, stricken.

The woman turned back, her eyes flashing with hatred. "Not just witchcraft, Mrs. Salvatore. The _dark arts._ It consumed her. And when you play with that kind of magic, it plays back." She turned away again. "We should have realized sooner than we did that it was no longer her who sat at our table. That it was no longer her who tended to the children. By the time we did, it was too late."

Gianna's mind spun. "I don't understand," she broke in. "Who was it?"

The woman stared at her. "The doppelganger." Bitterly, she glared at the ground. "My eldest knew something was wrong—knew his wife would never betray him—and discovered what she was when he found his wife's body hidden away, frozen in time. We tried to stop her, but she was too much for us. She slaughtered her children and in an instant our lives ended. To punish us, she turned us into creatures of the damned. Of the night."

Gianna gaped at her. "What?" she whispered.

The woman didn't spare her a glance. "But one of her children escaped. He fled into the night, trying to save his life. He was only a child. Just five years old." Gianna could see tears glistening in the woman's eyes. "But for his cowardice, for running, she cursed him. His lineage would always be drawn to her—to the doppelgangers who would come from her. And then she fled, leaving us to be damned for all eternity, to curse and torment us for the rest of our lives."

"Y-you're saying…" Gianna could scarcely breathe. "You're saying my children are decedents of the boy?"

"I am saying you are," she told her quietly. "And your children will be as well." She looked around the woods. "The doppelganger is a vampire, now. A damned, just like my family now. And she will come here. She will not be able to resist their pull anymore than they will be able to resist hers. And they will continue the curse, just as it has continued for centuries."

"Why are you telling me this?" Gianna cried, turning away from her. "Why are you telling me this horrible fate that is to become my children?"

She uttered a cry of surprise as the woman seized her shoulders, her dark eyes burning into Gianna's. "For thousands of years I have tried to stop this curse," she declared raggedly. "My family deserves to be at peace. For our peace, the doppelganger must be stopped. Her curse must end!"

"How do they stop it?" she asked, searching the woman's eyes, feeling the first spark of hope. "How can they stop the curse?"

"The original," the woman told her. "The original must be brought back. She can end this. She can end all of it. For all of us."

Gianna trembled. "How do they find her?" she asked.

"My sons will find your boys," the woman told her softly. "They will seek them out. And when they do, they will be able to take them to her. To the original. They will know what to do."

Gianna nodded, shaking. The woman released her, turning away. "Your sons," Gianna asked hesitantly. The woman turned back. "Will they look out for my boys?"

A small smile graced the woman's features. "My eldest will," she said softly. "They are, after all, his descendents." She nodded at Gianna. "The doppelganger will find them. There is nothing you can do to stop that. I only pray you will help me stop her."

"I will try," Gianna whispered.

The woman nodded. "It is all I ask," she agreed. With a swish of her long cloak she was gone, taken in by the shadows.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** PHEW! I was so nervous about the last chapter, I can't even tell you guys! I am so glad that you're all enjoying the mythology I created, though! Such a relief! And thank you guys so much for all of the support... It really means the world to me! *huge hugs*

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><p>"So I'm evil," Elena stated, not quite sure how to react as she leaned back against the couch, letting the revelation and the story from the journal sink in.<p>

"And Stefan and I were doomed from the very beginning," Damon drawled flatly.

She looked over at him, sucking in a quick breath of surprise. It was the first time Damon had made any reference to caring about her since the night he had laid dying in her arms, and she wasn't sure what to do… What to say back to him.

"I wonder if Stefan always gets the girl in every version of the story," Damon laughed shortly, more to himself than her. Her heart ached as she stared at him, wanting to apologize—wanting to refute the claim and not knowing how to start. He looked over at her, then, and offered a half-smile full of sorrow and affection. She could scarcely breathe as his fingers lightly traced a piece of her hair framing the edge of her face, his eyes caressing what his hands wouldn't, and then he stood, going to the serving table.

She swallowed hard, trying to clear the sudden lump that had formed in her throat. "The woman your mom was talking about… She said there had been others. Before you and Stefan. That she had tried to warn them all about the doppelganger." She looked up at him. "I wonder what happened to them."

He finished downing the contents in his glass, turning to look at her. Then his eyes fell to the floor, as if he could see through it. "I suppose anything about our ancestors would be in their books."

She stood. "Lead the way," she requested, gesturing to the hall.

He hesitated, but set down his glass. She followed him down the hall and down into the basement, to the back. On rows of old, rickety-looking shelves were stacked large boxes and trunks. Damon carefully began lifting them, setting them down on the ground.

He finally removed a heavy, solid-looking trunk, carved out of wood, a border of elegant carvings running along the sides of it. The hinges were rusted and black with age, nearly falling off. He set it down in at her feet and together they knelt down in front of it, Damon flipping the lid to unlock it.

A musty smell wafted from the trunk, the smell of untouched, ancient documents. Damon made a face, waving it over the trunk to clear the stench. "No wonder I never went through this," he complained. He reached into the trunk and removed a leather-bound book. He made a face. "Oh, look. Another journal."

Elena made a face at him, gently taking the ancient book from him. It was heavy and the smell of decay clung to it, as if it were barely holding together. She carefully peeled the pages apart, the paper brittle in her hands.

"Lorena Valentis," she read. She looked up at Damon, confused. "Who was Lorena Valentis?"

He peered over her shoulder, making a face. "My witch of an aunt." He shuddered. "God I hated that woman. She used to bring us the most sour, bitter jellies and demand that we eat them right in front of her while she watched so she could 'watch us enjoy them.'" He made a face. "I'm still convinced she knew they tasted horrible, but god forbid we made a face while we ate them. She feigned hysteria if we did anything but rave about how wonderful they were, and our father was quick with the switch."

Elena slowly closed the journal, unable to resist a small smile at the thought of Damon as a child, pretending to enjoy the taste of something he would rather be throwing on the floor. She could barely picture it, but the image was adorable.

He removed another book from the trunk, frowning down at it. He brushed off the silver name plate, tarnished with age, then flipped it open. "Whose is it?" she asked.

"I don't know." He scanned the front page. "Benevuto Valentis," he read. He grimaced. "They sure knew how to pick names back then."

"Who was Benevuto Valentis?" she asked.

"My mom's… uncle, I think. I never met him." He flipped through the pages, stopping short on one page.

"What is it?" Elena asked, her heart skipping. She quickly peered over his shoulder, her breath catching in her throat.

The sketch was dark with age, but it was unmistakable. The man was barely twenty, with a thick shock of dark brown hair, and bright, shining eyes. He wore a vest and a high-collared shirt, remnants of a time long-past.

And on his arm, wearing a long dress with a high collar and a coy, kittenish smile, was Katherine Pierce.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Damon declared, sounding irritated. He quickly snapped the book shut, handing it to Elena, who carefully held it in her arms. She watched, stunned, as he tore through the rest of the books in the trunk, flipping the delicate pages without reverence. She cringed as one tore, wanting to stop him, but knowing it wasn't her place—it wasn't her fight.

He swore again, setting another book on top of the other one she held. By the time he was done, a stack of seven books balanced precariously in herarms. Damon let out a deep breath, staring at the books she barely managed to keep on her lap.

"We really are cursed," Damon breathed, a look of sickened disbelief on his face. She met his eyes when they slowly drifted up, locking onto hers.

She abandoned the books, setting them onto the stone floor, and quickly took his hands, shaking her head. "We can fix it," she insisted, trying to break through the dazed look on his face. "Your mother's journal… It said the original woman needs to be restored. That you and Stefan need to be brought to the original woman. And then this will all be over. The curse will be lifted." She gave his hands a little shake. "Come on. Help me get these books up."

He nodded slightly. She nodded in confirmation, reassuring him, and together they hauled the books up the stairs, back to the living room. It was eerily quiet except for the crackle of the fire, and outside, the night sky seemed unusually black.

They set the books down on the table, settling back on the couch. Elena carefully reached for the first book, gasping when Damon's hand shot out, catching it around her wrist. She looked back at him, startled.

"Are you sure you want to read these?" he asked. She frowned, confused. "You're a doppelganger, Elena. Are you sure you want to read these?"

She nodded, despite her reservations. "I should know, shouldn't I?" she countered. "I am the doppelganger. Shouldn't I know what I am?" She detached her wrist, squeezing his hand. "I'll be fine, Damon. Really."

Damon didn't look convinced, but he reached for two books, handing one to her. And together, they settled in by the light of the fire to read about the fate of his ancestors… and the doppelganger.

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><p>Katherine Pierce smiled impishly as she watched the proud, muscular boy strip off his shirt. She catcalled wildly, looking over at her loyal and dear friend. The dark-skinned girl was studying the boy with deep eyes, not smiling, clearly disapproving of how Katherine chose to use her compulsions.<p>

"We're not going to hurt him," she admonished her friend—her dearest witch companion. She turned to her, locking her eyes with the deep, dark ones. "Now. Tell me what you're going to do."

The elegant, graceful girl turned to face her. "Make sure Bonnie doesn't get her powers back and Elena is no longer… a bother."

Katherine smiled, delighted, and toasted the girl with a crystal wine glass of the compelled boy's blood. "Exactly." She eyed her sharply. "Just make sure your loyalties don't get crossed again."

The girl nodded. "I'm in your debt, Katherine."

Katherine leaned back against the couch, grinning to herself as Matt's hands lowered to the buttons on his pants. "Yes," she agreed. "Yes you are."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry I haven't replied to anyone's comments yet! It's been a busy couple of days. I have read them and they absolutely mean the world to me. I promise I'll get back to you soon!

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><p>Elena woke to sunlight streaming in her eyes. She shifted unhappily, burying her face further in the pillow under her. In response, she felt something around her shoulders shift, pulling her closer to the warmth beside her. She let out a soft, content sigh, safe, secure, and warm.<p>

She was just about to fall back into sleep when she heard a soft click, echoing in the silent, massive house. Her eyes flew open, taking in a long black torso and lean, jean-clad legs beside her. The heavy weight of the arm around her shoulders suddenly lifted, and then the body beside her was gone in a blur so quick she almost missed it, leaving behind only the faintest scent of cologne.

Damon.

She quickly caught herself before she fell over, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair. She tried not to flush, her heart hammering against her chest. She didn't remember falling asleep, only reading the journals with Damon long into the night. At some point her eyes had grown blurry and she had closed them… She must have leaned against Damon.

And they had slept there. On the couch. Together.

Guilt gnawed at her even as she heard Damon's low drawl through the hallway. "Guess you two survived another night."

"Good morning to you, too, Damon," Elena heard Caroline return dryly. "Is anyone else awake? We brought doughnuts."

"You know, usually people knock when they enter someone's house," he reminded, appearing behind them as they stepped into the living room.

Elena flashed a smile at Caroline and Tyler. "Hey, guys," she greeted. She looked at Tyler, who wore a slightly exhausted look. "How're you feeling?"

He smiled weakly. "I'm okay." He arched an eyebrow at the books on the table. "Doing some light reading?"

"We're overachievers. Hoping for an 'A' in Ric's class." Damon stepped past him, taking the boxes Caroline held. She protested, but he set them on the table, opening them and taking one for himself. Elena's heart skipped as he dropped down onto the couch with her, about a foot away, and put his feet up on the table.

"I'm giving you an 'F' on principle," Alaric announced, appearing in the living room. He patted Tyler on the shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

Tyler looked up at him, as if surprised and a little pleased at the question. "Good. Thanks."

Alaric nodded. "We brought doughnuts," Caroline offered, gesturing to the pastries on the table.

Alaric flashed a smile at her. "Thanks." He made a face at Damon. "Good to know someone knows how to feed guests." He reached down and picked up a doughnut out of the box, dropping down into the chair by the fire.

"I give you whiskey," Damon objected. "My finest whiskey. My prized whiskey. Don't complain."

Alaric waved a hand at him, taking a bite of the doughnut in his hand. He looked down at the books in front of them an arched an eyebrow. "What's all this?" he asked.

Elena's heart skipped. "We were doing a little research last night," Damon answered. He stood, picked up one of the journals from the table, and flipped it to a page. He held it out to Alaric. "Tell me that isn't the thing of nightmares."

Alaric stared at the page, swallowing hard around his doughnut. His face turned suddenly serious as he stared, slowly looking up at Damon. "Is that…?"

"Yup. And apparently my great-great-great something-or-other."

Caroline made a face. "What's going on?" she asked.

Alaric turned the book to face her and Tyler. They crept closer to get a better look at the page. Caroline stared at it, then reeled back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Is that…?" she asked.

"We've been over this," Damon reminded impatiently.

Caroline turned on him. "Why is Katherine getting freaky with your ancestor?" she demanded.

He flashed a cocky grin. "Being that damn good runs in my family?"

"Damon." They turned back to face Alaric, who stood, his face flooded with concern. "What's going on?"

Damon picked up another journal from the table—his mother's journal. Damon handed it to Alaric, who took it with a slight frown. "Apparently Stefan and I are cursed. Our mother was a descendent of the woman who came before the doppelganger—the original woman. And the doppelganger decided to turn the original's family into creatures of the night." Alaric's head shot up, focusing on Damon in disbelief. "The original vampires."

"Klaus and Elijah?" Alaric repeated, stunned.

Damon nodded.

"There's a way to stop the doppelganger," Elena spoke up. "A way to break the curse." She met Damon's eyes, then looked down at Alaric. "The woman told their mom Stefan and Damon need to be taken to the original woman. She said her sons would know how." She looked around the room. "We need to find Elijah."

"What's the curse?" Caroline asked cautiously, looking between Damon and Elena hesitantly.

Elena faltered, looking up at Damon fleetingly before dropping her eyes. "To chase the doppelganger to the ends of the earth," Damon answered, pointing at the picture Alaric still held.

"Some curse," Caroline breathed, dropping down onto the couch behind her.

"But we can break it," Elena insisted. "We can stop it." Again, she scanned the room, seeking support. "We just need to find Elijah."

"Didn't Elijah betray us?" Damon reminded, scowling impatiently. "Besides, if finding him were that easy, we would already know where Klaus is."

"He was just trying to find his family." She dropped her eyes to the journal in Alaric's hands. "And now we know why." She looked back up at him. "It was his wife who caused all of this to begin with."

"I say we start with someone easier," Damon declared.

"Who?" Alaric asked.

Damon flashed a dark grin. "Katherine."

"Katherine?" Caroline repeated, alarm ringing in her voice. "Why? Do we want her on our side? Are we suddenly team Katherine now? Can I point out—she killed me?"

"Katherine has been following my ancestors around for centures." Damon gestured to the journals on the table. "And I'd like to know what she knows about this curse." He turned to Elena, leveling her with a look. "Wouldn't you?"

After the sordid tales of love, betrayal, and anguish she had read the night before, she didn't know if she could face Katherine again without staking were too many tales of brother turning on brother, pining for her love, and in the end, Katherine choosing neither, leaving the brothers broken shells of their former selves—if they even survived at all.

But then, if Katherine did know, they needed her help. They needed to know everything she did to help break this damned curse that had destroyed so many lives.

"How do you know if we'll be able to find her?" Elena asked uncertainly.

Damon shrugged. "Why not? Klaus let her go, didn't he? He broke his curse. She has no reason to run anymore."

"That doesn't mean she's going to want to help us," Elena pointed out.

"Sure she will, because she isn't going to want us chasing after her for all of eternity." Damon turned to Alaric. "Ready for another field trip?"

Alaric stood. "Should I pack a lunch?"

"And a couple of shirts."

"Where are you going?" Elena asked, standing.

Damon faced her, his eyes dark. "To find Katherine. And then to find Elijah, so we can locate Stefan and remove this curse and get him away from Klaus for good."

"So… you're saying I should bring another set of pants, too," Alaric said, from over Damon's shoulder.

Damon glanced back at him. "Might be best," he agreed. He and Alaric nodded at each other.

"Damon," Elena began, trying to keep her voice even; trying to reason with him. "You searched for Katherine for 150 years. What makes you think you're suddenly going to be able to find her now if she doesn't want to be found?"

Damon leaned in toward her. "The last time, I thought she was in a tomb," he told her, his voice low, his eyes intense. "And blinded by love. This time, I know better. On all accounts." He straightened, stepping past her. "We'll bring you guys back souveniers. Wolf-boy—you collect hats?"

"Hats?" Tyler repeated.

Damon held his hands above his head in the shape of a baseball cap. "Hats. You know." At Tyler's blank face, he went on. "No? How about shot glasses?" He waited a second, then made a face and shook his head, waving a hand at Tyler. "I'll get you a postcard."

Elena watched as he headed out of the living room, turning back helplessly to look up at Alaric. "Ric," she pleaded.

He hesitated. "This is for him, Elena," he said quietly. "The curse is his. His and Stefan's."

"But he's chasing someone who might as well be a ghost!" she protested desperately.

He let out a deep breath. "I know." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll try to keep him in check. Make sure he doesn't… eat anyone." He squeezed her shoulder gently and stepped past her, heading up the stairs to the guest room.

Elena looked back at Caroline and Tyler, who traded looks before looking back at her. She let out a deep breath, slowly sinking down onto the couch.

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><p>Elena stood in the entrance to Damon's bedroom, taking in the open small suitcase and the clothes carefully folded on the bed beside it. Damon stood with his back to her, setting items into the suitcase.<p>

She wasn't foolish enough to think he didn't know she was there, but he said nothing as he continued placing the perfectly folded stacks into the suitcase. Jeans on top of shirts, bag of toiletries to the right.

She tried to find the words to speak, but all that came to mind was, _Don't go_. She finally entered the room, watching as he stopped moving, his head lifting. He turned back to look at her, his face expressionless, but his striking blue eyes soft.

"You don't have to do this, you know," she said, trying to keep her voice strong. "We can find Klaus and Elijah and Stefan another way."

"Any ideas?" he asked pointedly. She fell silent. "Me, either. So…" He turned back to the bed, shutting the suitcase.

"What are you hoping she'll say, Damon?" she asked, trying one last time to reason with him. "She's not going to tell you where they are, if she even knows. And if you ask her about your ancestors, she's just going to lie, just like she always does. And that's _if_ you find her."

"It's better than sitting around here doing nothing," he returned. He zipped up the suitcase and set it on the ground with a soft thud.

And that was it. Damon was really leaving. Damon was really going to go chasing after Katherine. End of story.

She stepped forward, crossing the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be careful," she requested quietly.

She felt his arms close around her waist, holding her tight. "We will," he agreed, his voice soft.

For a long moment she could only stand there, reveling in the feel of his arms around her. And then she forced herself to release him, stepping away to look up at him. "And don't forget to call," she instructed, trying to keep her voice bright.

He cocked his head at her. "You guys just keep working on saving Jeremy and getting Bonnie's powers back," he returned.

Elena nodded. "We will."

His hand caressed her cheek, and then he lifted his bag, stepping past her and heading out of the room. There was a splintering sensation in her heart, an ache that hurt so vividly she thought someone might be squeezing it. She whirled around, looking after him.

"Damon!"

He turned back, looking back at her.

She flashed a weak, embarrassed smile, her vision blurry. "Hurry back, okay?"

He nodded, a deep, elegant nod that made her think of a time long past, and then he was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Huge thanks to Lokya, who told me that no alert had come out for this chapter. I'm sorry, guys! I don't know what happened. But here is it, chapter 12! I think I'm all caught up in responding to everyone's reviews... Thank you so much for them! You guys rock my world.

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><p>"Man," Caroline declared, tossing the book onto the table. "What was up with Katherine?"<p>

Elena looked up at her, shaken out of her own reading. "What?" Elena asked.

"She's like, so evil," Caroline complained. "Turning all those poor guys inside out? Wrapping them around her finger? This guy—Mauro—he committed suicide after she left because he loved her so much."

Elena nodded grimly. "In this one, she turned two brothers against each other. They ended up killing each other, fighting for her affection."

Caroline shook her head. "That girl has serious daddy issues," she declared. She sighed. "At least Stefan and Damon never did that, huh?"

Elena smiled weakly. "Yeah," she agreed softly.

"The thing that doesn't make any sense to me," Tyler began, looking up thoughtfully, "is why their mom's journal was in my family's slave quarters. Why would it be down there?"

Elena shook her head. "I've been trying to figure that out, but she doesn't say anything about the Lockwoods except that she sees them around town." She looked down at the book in her hands. "Mostly she just talks about Damon and Stefan and the curse."

The front door opened. Elena looked back curiously. "Jeremy?" she called. "Bonnie? Is that you?"

"Come on," she heard Bonnie say.

Elena stood warily, watching as Bonnie and Jeremy entered the room, a stranger led in-between them. She was a beautiful girl, with dark skin and long dark hair, familiar somehow, but Elena couldn't quite place her.

"Guys," Bonnie announced, presenting the girl to them. "This is my cousin, Lucy."

And then Elena remembered. She was the girl at the masquerade ball. The Bennett witch Katherine had brought with her to cast a spell on Elena so whatever damage was done to Katherine was done to Elena. Bonnie's cousin, who had betrayed Katherine in the end.

What was she doing here? Now?

"She sensed my powers had been taken," Bonnie explained, looking up gratefully at the girl. "And she's here to help me get them back."

There was a moment of silence around the room. Finally Caroline broke it. "Can you do that?" she asked, sounding surprised.

The girl—Lucy—nodded. "It won't be easy," she admitted. She looked back at Bonnie. "But for a strong witch like Bonnie, it can be done."

"How?" Elena asked.

Lucy looked at her. "We'll need a few things—but nothing impossible to get our hands on. And we need to wait for the new moon."

"The new moon?" Bonnie repeated, turning to her curiously. "Why?"

"Because that's when nature is most accepting of new beginnings." Lucy gave her an apologetic smile. "If I were stronger, I would be able to do it without the moon's help, but I'm not."

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm just grateful you're helping me at all. Thank you."

Lucy inclined her head at her in a nod. "You're a Bennett witch. A sister."

Bonnie smiled, a pleased look on her face. Elena hesitated, stepping forward. "You were… with Katherine, weren't you?" she asked.

Lucy's smile fell. "I was. I repaid my debt to her."

Elena's heart skipped. "Is there any way you could find her?"

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Find her?" she asked. "You mean a locator spell?"

Elena nodded. "Our friends went to track her down. And if you could find her…"

Lucy cocked her head curiously. "Why would you want to track down Katherine?" she asked slowly.

Elena smiled weakly. "It's kind of a long story. We're looking for Elijah and Klaus."

Lucy's eyebrows came together in a deep frown. "The originals?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Why would Katherine know where the originals are? She's been running from them for centuries."

"They caught her," Elena explained. "And then they let her go."

Lucy's eyes flashed. "They let her go?" she repeated. "Why?"

"We don't really know," Elena admitted. "They just did. And now we're trying to find Katherine to find out if she knows where they are." She hesitated. "Or if she knows anything about the doppelganger curse."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. She slowly stepped toward Elena, whose breath caught in her throat as the girl advanced. "What do _you_ know of the doppelganger curse?" she asked, studying her closely.

Elena stared back at her, bewildered. "What do you know?" she countered.

"Okay, this little lesbian-closeness is getting a little too… close… for me," Caroline announced, breaking between the two of them. "So everyone just… to your corners, okay?" She shook her head, then turned to Lucy. "What _do_ you know about the doppelganger curse?"

Lucy's eyes didn't waver from Elena's for several seconds. Finally, after a moment, she looked up at Caroline, and then the others. "That the doppelganger is the key to breaking Klaus' curse," she said. "And to killing him."

"Killing him?" Bonnie repeated, from behind her. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "How?"

Lucy turned back to face her. She took in Elena again. "The original must be restored. The curse the doppelganger cast on the original family must be lifted."

"How is the doppelganger involved?" Elena asked, frowning.

Lucy stared at her. "She must be returned to her world, so she can never torment another living soul again."

There was a heavy silence around the room. Elena slowly reminded herself to breathe, trying to comprehend the words. "Returned to her world," she repeated slowly. "But… I'm human."

Lucy cocked her head at her. "You are not human. You are a doppelganger. You are here merely to torment those who you have cursed. You have done it for centuries."

"Wait a second," Bonnie broke in. "Elena's not evil. She hasn't cursed anyone. She isn't tormenting anyone."

Lucy turned to her. "No?" she asked. She met Elena's eyes again. "I wonder what the Salvatore brothers would have to say about that." She arched an eyebrow. "What the ones before them would have to say about Katherine."

Elena felt herself grow sick, paling in horror. "Are you saying… just being with them is tormenting them?" she asked. She wanted to argue, but even as she tried to form the words, she thought of Damon, wrapped in her arms on his death bed.

"_I know you love Stefan. That it will always be Stefan. But I love you. You should know that."_

And Stefan. Dear Stefan, who she loved, but couldn't actually have a future with, because he was a vampire and she wanted to stay human and grow old and have children. She was leading him down an impossible relationship—a love predestined to fail. And even now, she couldn't even think about him without feeling a tremor of fear, not after stepping inside of his head for those brief few minutes.

Perhaps… Perhaps she really was tormenting them.

She all-but collapsed on the couch, trembling. She slowly looked up at Lucy. "How do you know all this?" she asked.

The girl held herself tall. "I am a Bennett witch," she declared strongly. "I come from a long line of Bennett witches. We have long watched over the doppelganger and the descendents of the originals, waiting for the time when the original curse would be lifted, and the doppelganger would be returned to her rightful world."

"There has to be another way," Jeremy broke in adamantly. "You're talking about shipping my sister off to… to nightmare land!"

Lucy leveled him with a firm look. "There is no other way," she told him evenly. "The doppelganger must restore the original woman, and then she must return to her world. Only then will the curse be lifted."

"The doppelganger," Elena began slowly, looking up at Lucy. "Where is it from?"

Lucy cocked her head at her. "The world behind the mirror," she answered calmly. "The world opposite of ours."

The world opposite of theirs. What did that even mean? How could there be a world behind the mirror? She couldn't imagine any other world other than this one—she couldn't imagine a world behind the mirror. Behind the glass.

But Damon and Stefan were cursed to love the doppelganger forever. And they were vampires.

Forever for them was a long, long time.

"Can you do it?" she asked Lucy. "Can you find the original woman?"

Lucy's eyes flashed. There was a sudden commotion around the room as the others immediately began protesting.

"Elena, no!" Bonnie protested. "There's another way, and we'll find it. You don't have to do this."

"Elena, think about what you're saying!" Caroline begged. "You don't want to be trapped in a mirror for the rest of your life, do you?"

"I've already lost too many people," Jeremy told her, shaking his head warningly at her. "Don't make me lose my sister, too."

She stood. "You guys don't understand," she insisted. "My life—my very _presence_—is torturing Damon and Stefan. They're doomed to chase the doppelganger for the rest of their lives. And their lives are longer than we can imagine. It's not fair to them. And if we do this, I can save them—and stop Klaus." She looked around the room imploringly. "I need to do this."

"It's not your fault you were born as the doppelganger," Bonnie returned, frowning at her.

"No," Elena agreed, shaking her head. "But I'm the one who can stop it." She turned back to Lucy. "Can you do it? Can you find the original woman?"

Lucy studied her closely. "I can try."

Elena nodded at her. "Thank you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** I keep trying to reply to your guy's **amazing** reviews, but for some odd reason my e-mail won't let me. I'm not exactly sure what's going on. But I still want to thank you all for reviewing and for sticking with this story! I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far!

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><p>"Where are you guys?" Elena asked, swallowing hard as she curled up against the headboard.<p>

"Tennessee, I think," she heard Damon say. In the background, she could hear the soft rush of wind and faint sound of music.

"Tennessee?" she asked. She reached out and clicked off the lamp on the bedside table. She had been about to crawl into bed to sleep when her phone had rang, flashing Damon's name on the screen. Before she knew it she had been answering it, relieved to hear from him—relieved he and Alaric were all right.

"Yeah. One of Katherine's little buddies pointed us this way." Damon let out a breath. "How're things up there? Find a cloak of invisibility for Jeremy yet?"

She swallowed hard. "Not yet. But Bonnie's cousin Lucy showed up—"

"The Bennett witch who betrayed Katherine?"

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah. And she thinks she might be able to help."

Damon sounded suspicious when he spoke again. "What's she doing there?"

He sounded so normal, so impossibly normal, and yet she couldn't feel normal. She couldn't feel anything but pain talking to him—knowing she was causing him nothing but pain. She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, trying to keep the moisture from falling through her lashes. "She sensed Bonnie's power had been stolen and she came to help her get them back."

"That's awfully generous of her."

"She said they're cousins."

"Don't trust her." Damon was matter-of-fact, his voice resolute.

"Why?" she asked, startled.

"Because she was Katherine's buddy. Who knows if she's really there for Bonnie, or if she's there because Katherine sent her to wreak havoc and mayhem? Just don't trust her, Elena."

"I'll be careful," she relented. "What about you guys? Do you think you're following a cold trail?"

"From the smell of perfume in the nicest foreclosed house in town? I'd say we're scalding." There was a sudden burst of music, a loud racket blaring through the phone. Elena winced, pulling it away from her ear. When it quieted down, she brought it back.

"Where are you?" she asked. "At a bar?"

"Of course," he agreed. "Ric and I can only bond when we've got some whiskey in us. Or scotch. Sometimes bourbon. Alcohol in general, really."

"Sounds like a very loving relationship," she laughed, unable to help herself.

"Very. Very healthy. We're good for each other. Maybe I'll turn him just to keep him with me for eternity."

"Better not let him hear you say that."

"Too late," she heard Alaric drawl through the phone. "And that sounds like hell, Damon. I'd walk outside without a ring on principle."

"Well, since Captain Too-drunk-to-drive is here, I've gotta go. Bye, Elena."

"Good night, Damon," she said softly. She slowly ended the call, staring at the phone, and hugged it to her, trying not to cry.

* * *

><p>They all sat around the outside of the circle except for Bonnie and Lucy, facing each other on opposite sides of a cauldron. Elena looked around at her friends, trying not to hold her breath as Lucy began chanting in a foreign tongue, her voice strong and clear as it carried around the living room.<p>

The candles around them began to flicker. Lucy sprinkled the pieces of Elena's hair into the cauldron, watching as the smoke rose from it. She continued chanting, as the heavy gray smoke from the cauldron headed for the map they had placed beside Lucy and Bonnie. The smoke covered the map, blanketing it in thick, heavy gray, save for a small part of the map, somewhere in Europe.

Lucy's chanting died away. The smoke evaporated, leaving behind just a touch of soot around a small town in Wales.

"There," Lucy declared. "The original is there." She frowned, leaning closer to the map. "And so is… Elijah."

"Elijah?" Elena repeated, startled.

"How can you tell?" Bonnie asked, frowning in surprise.

Lucy pointed to the second ring, surrounding the first, creating an almost bulls eye effect. "The darker line represents Elijah—a creature of darkness. The lighter one is the original woman—the human she was, before she was left, frozen in time, stolen by the doppelganger." She looked up at them. "They are both there."

Elena leaned down to get a closer look at the map, her heart skipping. The tiny dot on the map was on the upper boarder of the country, right on the edge of the water. She looked up at the others as she read the name of the town, shaking her head. "Holyhead," she announced.

"Holyhead?" Caroline repeated, her tiny nose wrinkling in confusion. "What is that?"

"That's the name of the town where Elijah and the original woman are," Elena told her. She let out a soft laugh. "I guess even the oldest vampires in the world have a sense of humor." She looked back down at the map, a sense of dread overtaking her as she stared at the tiny dot. That small dot was going to be her final resting place. She was going to trade her life for the original woman's in this tiny town she had never heard of.

She swallowed hard, mustering all of her strength, and looked around the room. "No one is to tell Damon or Alaric of this," she ordered firmly, staring each of them down. "We'll leave as soon as we can get a flight. But no one can tell Damon or Alaric." When her friends looked away, she frowned, her heart picking up speed. "Promise me," she insisted, half-ordering, half-pleading.

"Elena, there's got to be another way," Caroline objected. "You don't have to run in all martyr-like, prepared to sacrifice yourself _all_ the time, you know. Sometimes there's a better way to win."

"This is the only way," Elena pointed out. She softened her voice, seeing the hurt look on Caroline's face, and addressed the room. "You guys… I know you're worried about me. But we've always wondered why I looked exactly like Katherine. Why the doppelganger exists. And now we know. Now we know why I'm here. And I have a chance to stop it. I can stop this from ever happening again." She looked around the room, pleading with her friends to understand. "I have to do this. For Damon, for Stefan, for Elijah and Klaus, and for the next girl who would have been born as the doppelganger."

"What about you?" Jeremy shot back. She turned to him, pained. "What about you, Elena? Why do you have to do this? Why can't the next girl be the sacrifice? Why do you always have to be the one risking your life? Why do you have to trade your life so everyone else can enjoy theirs?"

She swallowed, studying her younger brother. He had already lost so much… She didn't want him to have to lose anyone else. She didn't want him to have to experience anymore pain.

She reached out and took his hands, squeezing them between her own. "Because I'm the doppelganger," she told him quietly. "And I'm cursed just as much as they are."

"You're not cursed," Jeremy objected. "You're not evil, Elena." His hands squeezed hers, his eyes desperate. "You're my _sister_."

She slowly wrapped her arms around him, wanting to shield him from the hurt. Wanting to protect him from everything about to happen.

But she couldn't. She had a duty to fulfill. She was the doppelganger, and she was the price to pay for everyone's freedom.

She slowly released Jeremy, stepping back to once again look around the room. "Promise me, you guys," she requested, taking in their unhappy, miserable faces. "Please."

Her only response was thunderous silence.

She turned to look at Bonnie. "Bonnie," she said pointedly. The dark eyes, flooded with a mixture of pain and acceptance, slowly came up and met hers. "I know you understand. You would do the same thing if you were me. So promise me."

Bonnie slowly let out a deep breath, finally nodding. "I promise," she agreed quietly.

Elena nodded, relieved. She turned to Caroline. "Caroline?" she prompted.

Caroline stared back at her, holding her hands up defensively. "No way," she declared. "Damon will torture me for centuries, Elena. _Centuries_. That's the type of time we can't even comprehend. There's no way I'm agreeing to this. Even if I wasn't your best friend and didn't want to support you because I didn't want you to get trapped in some weird opposite-world where orange is probably the new black, there's no way I would promise not to tell him."

"Caroline," Elena pleaded. "If the curse is gone, Damon and Stefan will both be free. They won't have this… uncontrollable need to be with the doppelganger anymore."

She shook her head, her large, bouncy blond curls swinging back and forth. "No," she refused. "I don't care what you say. I'm not agreeing to this. I was tortured before, remember? I'm sure Damon would come up with something much more creative than those tick-infested fuzzypants." She suddenly cringed, looking over at Tyler, who stood beside her. "No offense."

He looked back at her dryly. "None taken."

"Caroline, please," Elena begged, desperation curling inside of her. "I'm asking you as your best friend."

Caroline drew back, eyeing her sharply. "Don't pull the BFF card, Elena. It's unfair."

Elena stared back at her, silently begging her with her eyes to understand. To trust her. To know that this was what she had to do, even if she didn't want to.

Caroline let out a sound of frustration. "If Damon tortures me, I'm going to find you in voodoo world and haunt you," Caroline warned her, scowling.

Elena flashed a smile of relief. She nodded. "Okay." She turned to Jeremy. "Jer—" she began hesitantly.

He held up his hands. "Spare it, Elena. You do what you got to do. But don't expect me to watch."

Elena watched, crestfallen, as her little brother stalked toward the hallway. "Jeremy—" she protested.

"I'll go," Bonnie offered, squeezing her arm gently. Elena nodded, trying not to feel it like a slap in the face as she watched Bonnie chase her younger brother out of the house.

She drew in a deep breath, slowly turning to face Lucy. The Bennett witch was staring at her, her dark eyes taking in everything. "When we get there," Elena started, "do you think you'll be able to do whatever needs to happen to restore the original woman and send the doppelganger back to…" she almost choked on her words, forcing herself to get them out, "its world?"

Lucy regarded her calmly. "I'll make sure I do by the time we get there," she agreed evenly.

"Thank you," Elena said softly, relieved. All she would have to do is get to the original, and Lucy would take care of the rest. And that was good, because Elena wasn't sure she could handle anymore.

Lucy continued to stare at her. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked. "The world the doppelganger is from… It is our world, but it is not. Are you prepared for the journey you are about to take?"

She forced a tight smile. "It's what I have to do," she pointed out. "The people I love are cursed for an eternity and I have a way to stop it. I can't just sit back and do nothing."

Lucy inclined her head at her in understanding. "Then I'll be prepared to go when you are."

Elena nodded, forcing down her urge to cry.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for all of your wonderful, insightful, encouraging reviews! I absolutely love reading them. Thank you so much! You guys just make my day.

**On another note:** I've recently been spending an obsessive amount of time on Twitter. Are you on Twitter? If so, let's chat! I love chatting with people on Twitter. You can find me at vivianmarieadp.

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><p>Her bedroom had never felt so small before. So strangely foreign.<p>

As she stood in the doorway, looking around at everything that had always been so familiar, at the stuff she had spent a lifetime accumulating, she realized, with a sense of sadness, that none of it even felt like hers anymore.

She slowly fingered the scarf Caroline had bought her for her last birthday, hanging from a hook on the wall, letting her fingers dance along the top of the smooth surface of the wooden dresser covered in jewelry and various keepsakes she hadn't been able to part with over the years. There was a picture frame she had decorated at summer camp during sixth grade, and the picture she, Caroline, and Bonnie had taken together, cheeks pressed against one another as they crammed together to all fit into the photo.

She smiled faintly at the memory, turning from the dresser to look back at her perfectly-made bed. She had always loved her bed—it was an especially fluffy mattress, and she had covered it with a large, heavy down comforter that was almost always too hot but was perfect to snuggle with. The pillows were overstuffed and occasionally shed feathers when she flopped too hard on them, but they were always easy to sleep on, like resting on a cloud.

She slowly sank down on the bed, picking up the stuffed bear that had been her favorite childhood companion growing up. She didn't remember when her parents had bought him for her, but she didn't have a single memory without him—except the one time she had lost him after dragging him around the yard, and her father had spent almost all night searching for him, using a flashlight to see with. After that, she had stopped taking the bear everywhere with her and he had become her favorite bedtime companion, always there to hold onto whenever she needed it.

And now she needed it more than ever.

Elena resisted the urge to let the tears flooding her eyes fall as she curled up on her side on her large, fluffy bed, hugging her raggedy old bear to her chest. The framed picture of her, Jeremy, and Jenna from Christmas stared back at her from her nightstand, their beaming faces almost ripping her heart to shreds.

She didn't want to die.

She hadn't wanted to die when she offered herself to Klaus to save her friends. She hadn't wanted to die when he had drained her blood and she had felt her heart burning, her lungs struggling to keep oxygen flowing. She hadn't wanted to die when she felt the darkness surround her, pulling her down into the empty, endless abyss.

But, she reminded herself, hugging the bear tightly to herself, she wasn't going to die. Not this time. This time, she wasn't sacrificing herself to die. She was trading places with the original woman, who had her life stolen away from her by the doppelganger thousands of years earlier. She was going to go to another place. To a place behind the mirror.

Because she was the doppelganger.

And it was time to go home.

* * *

><p>Elena wiped the tears from her eyes, sitting up to grab the phone out of her purse. She hugged the bear to her chest, holding him on her lap as she read the name on the caller ID.<p>

_Damon_.

She drew in a shaky breath, grateful he had called and dreading the conversation all at the same time. "Damon," she greeted.

"Elena!" he caroled back, his voice cheerful and vibrant, full of life. He sounded healthy and normal, finally fully recovered. She felt a tear slide down her cheek, relieved she would get to hear him like this one last time. Heartbroken it would be the last time. "You'll never guess what we did today."

She laughed through her tears. "Did you get arrested?"

"What? No. I'd just compel them. No. We went go-carting."

"Go-carting!" she exclaimed, her tears stilling in her surprise. She laughed. "Why?"

"Why?" he repeated. "She asked why," she heard him say, his voice muffled as if talking to someone else. _Alaric_. "We were driving by. Saw it. Looked fun. Went in. Starting driving." He let out a dramatic sigh. "You really need to get out more."

She laughed, feeling tears fall onto her cheeks. "Did you win?"

"Obviously," he scoffed. "How are things over there?"

"Fine," she lied.

"The Bennett witch show her true colors yet?"

She swallowed hard. "She's been really helpful so far."

He let out a sound of irritation. "Sure, she's helpful, until she hands you over to Katherine, or whoever else she's working for now. I'm telling you, Elena—don't trust her."

She nodded. "I know." She hesitated, knowing it could be her last chance to say it, and yet not quite knowing how to express it. "Thank you… for always looking out for me."

There was utter silence through the phone. She could almost picture his face in her mind, frowning, listening intently to her breathing. Finally, he spoke. "What's going on?" he asked slowly.

"Nothing," she lied. "Why?"

"Elena—" he began, his voice full of warning; of anger.

She felt more tears fall down her cheeks. "I've got to go, Damon. I'll talk to you later."

"Elena!"

"Goodbye," she whispered. She ended the call, shutting off her phone just as she saw it flicker with his name.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks, slowly replacing her bear on her bed. She smoothed out the sheets, making it as pristine as she always had. Then she set the phone on the bedside table as she always did before she went to bed, picked up her purse, and headed to the door.

She glanced back only once, taking in the familiar bedroom.

And then she flicked off the light and closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>By the time she reached the Salvatore house, her tears had dried, her eyes no longer red from unshed tears. She had a mission to fulfill, and she needed to be strong. She couldn't let the others know how scared she was. She had to be firm. Resolute. If they thought she had the slightest bit of doubt they would call the whole plan off, and they had to do this.<p>

They had to, because Damon and Stefan deserved to find some peace.

She pushed open the front door, setting her bag down inside. "Hello?" she called, frowning at the eerie silence. She was sure they had all agreed to meet there, but she guessed she could have been the first one to arrive.

She stepped into the living room, trying to take in the majestic surroundings all at once. She wanted to burn this place to memory, so no matter where she ended up, she would always remember it. There had been so many good and bad times in this room. So many more than she could count. She tried to remember them all, standing there, the images rushing through her mind, but they were there and gone in brief flashes, too quick for her to focus on.

She let out a soft sigh, turning to go up the stairs. She gasped, staggering back a step in shock as she came face-to-face with Lucy.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, placing her hands on either side of her head.

Elena gaped at her in disbelief, trying to protest, trying to figure out what was going on.

It was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Oh my gosh, you guys! I did not expect the _amazing_ feedback I got on the last chapter-thank you so, so much! You guys are wonderful. I'm _so_ happy you're all enjoying this story so much. It really just means everything to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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><p>"Elena? Elena! Come on, Elena… Open your eyes…"<p>

The low voice was scared; heavy with barely-contained fear. She hated to hear that voice like that. Not again. Not so soon, when she had just heard it sounding so happy and full-of-life. It was too soon for it to sound so miserable—so anxious.

She fought against the fog holding her down, feeling her lashes flutter against one another as she struggled to pull them apart. The darkness was soothing, lulling her back to the blissful void, but she resisted, fighting against the urge to escape back into her dream world. There was someone out there. Someone she needed to see. Someone she needed to comfort and protect.

Her vision finally returned, a hazy, fuzzy vision of a face peering down at her from less than a foot away. She blinked, trying to bring it into focus, wincing against the cold, hard ground under her.

"Elena," she heard the person breathe, the familiar voice full of relief. She felt hands wrap around her arms, helping her sit up.

She blinked again, her dry eyes watering and finally clearing her vision. She found herself looking up into Damon's concerned, worried face, his expression tender and alarmed, but reassured nonetheless. He was kneeling beside her, his hands still around the back of her elbows, keeping her up, holding her steady.

"Damon?" she finally asked, stunned. "What are you doing here?" The fuzziness in her mind evaporated with a frightening clarity, bringing the situation into an alarming focus. She quickly looked around the small prison in the Salvatore house, taking in their positions on the floor, as if they had been dumped, the locked door, and most importantly—Damon. "Why are we here?" she asked, alarmed.

"I live here," he drawled flatly. His sarcastic tone and expression faded as he studied her intently. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." She stood slowly, watching as he mirrored her. He looked unshaken in a black t-shirt and jeans, his black hair falling over his pale skin, which held its normal unusually pale sheen. He looked… healthy. Perfect. Strikingly handsome. "What are you doing here?"

He shot her a look of annoyance. "We were in Virginia when I called. After you turned off your phone, we raced back here to find out what life-risking mission you were on this time. We walked in, I woke up here." He surveyed the cell, then looked back at her. "Looks like your plan backfired."

She let out a soft breath. "Damon—"

"They were kind enough to leave us this," he said, turning and picking up a square mirror, about a foot in diameter, off of the floor beside him. "Maybe Cheer Vamp is supposed to be in here, too?"

Elena frowned at the mirror, taking it from him. It was completely flat, a dull, flat gray on the back, clearly meant to be placed in a mounting of some kind. The mirror itself wasn't decorated in any way—not even the edges were beveled, like most mirrors. It was just a flat, reflective square.

And such an odd thing to leave them.

She held it in her hands, looking up at him. He was staring bitterly at the door, as if knowing he couldn't break it down even if he tried. His body was tense, poised to strike, a caged, wild animal.

"What about Alaric?" she asked, brightening. "Maybe he's still out there. Maybe he'll let us out."

Damon reached out, gripping the iron rods in the small window in the door. "If he were out there, we wouldn't be in here." He turned back to look at her, releasing the door. His bright blue eyes burned accusingly into hers. "So. Since we've apparently got all this time in here together, want to tell me what the big suicide march was for this time? Or can I guess?"

She exhaled sharply, her breath catching in her throat. "We were trying to get to the original woman."

Damon's eyes blazed, his eyebrows knitting together. "The original woman?" he repeated. "The one who brought the doppelganger into this world?"

She nodded slowly, looking down at the mirror in her hands. In the dim light of the cell, with her long hair hanging beside her face, her features looked strangely foreign, dark and haunting. Was that, she wondered, a shred of fear sending a shiver down her spine, what she looked like on the other side?

"Why?" he demanded.

She braced herself, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "To restore her," she answered, with more strength than she felt. "To bring her back and send the doppelganger back to her world so the curse could be lifted and she could end all of this."

Damon stared back at her, his face contorted in confused annoyance, saying nothing. She could see the wheels in his head turning, processing her words. And then he finally spoke. "You mean you," he reiterated finally. "You mean you were going to… what do you mean, back to her world? What world?"

She swallowed against the vehement anger in his voice, holding herself firm as she spun the mirror to face him. "This one," she answered. "The world behind the mirror."

He glanced down at it, then back up at her, his face incredulous. "You were going to trap yourself in a mirror?" he repeated. "Like in some horror story? That was your master plan? What? You're going to take to haunting little kids who say, 'Elena' twelve times at midnight while staring in the mirror?"

She frowned at him, fighting back her urge to be annoyed. She knew it was his way of repressing his fear; of hiding his true emotions, but she wasn't in the mood for it. They were locked in the cell in the Salvatore house, there was no one to let them out, and she didn't know why they were in there.

With a mirror.

"We can restore the original," she told him, trying to keep her voice even. "We can restore her, and then she can end all of this, Damon. She can break the curse. She can destroy Klaus and the rest of the originals. We can save Stefan. All I have to do is go back where I came from."

"Last I checked you were from Mystic Falls!" Damon shot back. "Did that suddenly change? Did your parents pull you out of backwards land?"

"Damon—" she complained, irritated.

"Where did you even get this stupid idea?" Damon demanded. "Last I checked, all we needed to do was get Stefan and I to the original woman and Elijah and Klaus would know what to do. Where did all of this about the original woman and the doppelganger needing to trade places come from?"

She hesitated. "Lucy," she admitted reluctantly.

He stared at her, drawing back. For a moment she held his eyes, then had to look away, unable to meet his accusing gaze. "Lucy," he repeated. She nodded. "Katherine's Lucy. The Bennett witch who I told you not to trust told you that you needed to trade your life for the original woman's, and now we're locked in this cell with a mirror?"

An image of Lucy standing before her, her hands on either side of Elena's head, suddenly flashed in her mind. "Lucy," Elena whispered, more to herself than Damon. She looked up at him quickly, finding him staring at her expectantly, his fury still evident. "Lucy's the one who put me in here, Damon. I remember coming into the house, and it was silent… And then Lucy was standing behind me. And she said, 'I'm sorry,' and when I woke up…" She gestured around the cell. "I was here."

Damon looked away in disgust. "And that's what happens when we trust Katherine's minions," he declared flatly. He looked down at the mirror in her hands, scowled, and yanked it away from her. "Give me that. Who knows what kind of spell she put on it? She might be trying to pull you into it as we speak. And that's a very tiny mirror."

"But what doesn't make sense is why you're here," Elena drawled thoughtfully. And then, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized the truth. If Damon were out there, and she was inside, he would stop at nothing until she was free.

And Lucy probably knew that.

An echo suddenly filled the room, the strange sound of something breaking. Elena jumped, looking up in terror. Damon was suddenly in front of her, shielding her, but the door was still in one piece. The entire room was still solid.

"What the hell…?" Damon asked.

"Jeremy, look out!" Bonnie's voice cried, sounding far away. It echoed around the room, small and distant, as if far away.

Elena followed the sound, scouring the room desperately for the source. She heard more shatters and crashes; the unmistakable sound of explosions.

"What is that?" Elena asked desperately.

Damon suddenly lifted the mirror in his hands, holding it up as he moved to stand beside her. "It's this," he said, his voice soft.

Alarmed, she followed his gaze, her heart squeezing in her chest as she stared down at the mirror. Instead of her and Damon's reflection, gazing back at her was the inside of what appeared to be a warehouse. It was flooded with smoke, so thick it was almost impossible to see. The mirror appeared to be some sort of camera, as if someone were holding it and running at the same time.

"What is this?" Elena asked, her breath catching in her throat.

"Bonnie, behind you!" a girl shouted, sounding closer to the mirror than the others. They watched as in the distance, something exploded, a cascade of fire scattering around them.

"Lucy," Elena whispered. She looked up at Damon, feeling tears in her eyes as she stared up at him. "Damon, it's Lucy. She's doing this."

Damon frowned, looking back down at the mirror. "Ric, over here!" they heard Jeremy yell. The scene shifted, as if the camera man had panned left, and they could see Jeremy and Alaric prying open a large, massive crate, at least eight feet tall.

"Caroline!" Alaric shouted.

The camera moved again, and they saw Caroline ducking, throwing off a man twice her size. They watched a hand, close to the camera, raise, the fingers extended before clutching into a fist. The man fell to a heap, clutching his head.

"I've got him!" they heard Lucy shout.

They watched as Caroline rushed to the crate, yanking the front of it off easily. She suddenly screamed, two large men on either side of her grabbing her and lifting her into the air.

"Caroline!" they heard Tyler shout.

"Caroline," Elena whispered, tears of horror welling up in her eyes.

The men suddenly collapsed, Caroline staggering to stay on her feet as they fell to the ground, their bodies already graying. She looked quickly to her left, where Alaric held up a crossbow, and then to her right, where Tyler stood, holding a stake.

"It's not him!" Jeremy shouted. "Who is this guy?"

"Move!" Alaric ordered, shoving him.

The camera gave a sudden jerk, tilting to stare up at the ceiling. They heard Lucy scream, horrific, blood-curdling screams.

And in front of the mirror, they could see lines of red streak on the cement where her arm lay.

"Got him!" Caroline yelled triumphantly. Then, "Jeremy, look out!"

"Jeremy, no!" Bonnie screamed.

There was a monstrous growl, unlike anything Elena had ever heard before. Then the sound of feet stomping, and a shatter.

And then the image on the mirror and the sounds slowly faded, revealing their reflections staring back at them.

"Jeremy?" Elena asked, staring at her tear-stained face in the mirror. "J… Jeremy?"

An arm wrapped around her, tight and fierce. "We don't even know if that was real," Damon pointed out, but his soft voice told her he believed it was just as much as she did.

She uttered a sob, her heart feeling like it would break in her chest. "They went without me," she cried, the strength leaving her legs. "They went to find Elijah without me, Damon. They were trying to save me."

"I know," he said, his voice quiet.

"Oh god," she sobbed. "Jeremy."

Her friends… her brother… they had all gone to save her. To avoid breaking their promise, they had done the unthinkable.

And they had traded their lives for hers.

Her knees gave out on her, Damon's arm around her the only thing keeping her from crashing onto the cement. He gently guided her to the ground, holding her to him as she cried heavy, heartbroken tears.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Oh my gosh! I have been completely overwhelmed by the support of this story! You guys are amazing, and I could not possibly ever appreciate you enough! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews!

This chapter is a little bit different than the others... It's told from our favorite girl's point of view! ;) Hope you enjoy!

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><p>"Is everyone… okay?"<p>

Caroline Forbes slowly straightened as the smoke and dust began to settle. She could tell immediately they were no longer in the warehouse, even though they were all together. The armed vampire guards were nowhere in their vicinity, and as she gave a quick sniff of the air, she realized why. It smelled differently here, wherever they were—familiar.

"Jeremy, oh god, Jeremy," she heard Bonnie sob.

She pivoted quickly, turning to see Bonnie cradling Jeremy's lifeless body. A jolt of horror went through her at the wrong, twisted angle of his neck. She recalled the gut-wrenching cracking sound before they had all magically been yanked out of the fight; Bonnie's terrified scream.

Alaric knelt beside them, beside Jeremy. He slowly placed a hand on Jeremy's arm, and as Caroline watched in disbelief, Alaric, who had only drank himself into an empty stupor after Jenna's death, looked like he was trying not to cry.

"Jeremy," he said softly.

"Jeremy, no," Bonnie pleaded.

Caroline felt a presence at her side. She looked up, finding Tyler's stricken eyes on Jeremy's prone figure. "Car," he said, his voice low, "can't you…?"

She forced back her tears, looking back at Jeremy, wrapped in Bonnie's arms. She shook her head, frustrated at her own helplessness. She was a vampire—but what good was being a vampire if she couldn't help cure people with her blood? Was being a vampire only good for eating people?

"It's too late," she whispered, feeling a tear trickle down her face.

She felt Tyler's hand rest on her shoulder, a comforting, supportive gesture. She leaned into him, relieved for the connection, watching as Bonnie continued to sob and Alaric placed his hands over his eyes, as though consumed by grief.

"What about his ring?" Tyler asked, sounding frustrated.

Caroline felt a shrill of hope before it exploded with Bonnie's tear-soaked words. "It won't work," she told them brokenly. "Death had him marked after I brought him back. He won't let him go."

Caroline watched as Alaric stood, surveying the room. She followed his eyes, disbelief flooding through her as she finally realized where they were. Alaric was gone in an instant, disappearing down the hallway.

She wanted to ask how they had gotten there, but she had a feeling only Bonnie and Lucy's shredded, lifeless figure behind her would have the answer. She turned, her heart heavy with grief, as she heard the pounding of footsteps in the distance.

Elena appeared in the entrance to the living room, Damon right at her heels. Normally Caroline thought it was funny, sweet, and borderline annoying how Damon was always following Elena around like a protective bodyguard, prepared to shield her when she jumped into battle. But now she was grateful, as tears cascaded down Elena's cheeks and she fell to Jeremy's side, clutching him to her and away from Bonnie. Damon knelt at her side, a hand on her shoulder, lending her his strength.

"Jeremy," Elena whispered. She trembled violently, her hands brushing his hair from his face, her fingers skittering over the odd angle of his neck. Caroline watched as Damon lifted Jeremy's hand, looking at the ring on his finger.

"Will it still work?" Elena asked, her voice unsteady.

Damon looked up at Alaric. The man shook his head slightly, his eyes heavy. Damon slowly, reverently, set Jeremy's hand down and moved his arm around Elena's shoulders, keeping her steady.

It seemed to be all the answer Elena needed. She let out a sob, curling down over her brother. Caroline brushed the tears from her cheeks, grateful for Tyler's arm anchoring her in reality.

She didn't know how long they remained there, no one moving, listening to Elena's tears. But slowly, Elena stopped crying, reluctantly unfolding herself from around her brother. She lifted her eyes to Bonnie, who was staring at Jeremy's lifeless form, silent tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Elena whispered to her.

Bonnie's gaze lifted to meet Elena's, and then Bonnie's stone-cold expression crumbled into a massive heap of hysterical sobs.

A loud gasp filled the room, as if devoid of air for a long time. Caroline's eyes snapped back to the figure in Elena's lap, staring in disbelief as Jeremy struggled desperately for air, his eyes wild as he looked around in confusion.

Caroline choked on her own breath, stunned.

"Jeremy?" Elena asked, breathless, as if scarcely daring to hope.

He winced as he struggled to sit up, Damon finally releasing Elena to help him. He looked around, wincing again as he rubbed his neck. "What…?" he started, then trailed off, his eyes fastened on empty air above him. They watched as his vision lowered, as if following someone, listening.

Anna and Vicki. It had to be.

"That was it?" Jeremy asked the empty space incredulously. "If that was all it took, why didn't we just have Damon snap my neck?"

An uneasy wave of confusion washed through the room. Caroline shifted, watching as Damon frowned, his sharp eyes taking in everything in front of him.

"Jeremy?" Elena asked, peering into his face and then at the space in front of him. "What…?"

"Anna says I had to die to pay back Death," Jeremy repeated, looking stunned. "But that because I died from a supernatural, my ring brought me back." He looked up suddenly, as if stricken, his eyes widening. There was more silence in the room, everyone waiting, breathless. "You don't have to go—" Jeremy objected.

There was another moment of silence, and then Jeremy fell back, subdued. He stared at the ground for a moment, then looked up, an expression of sadness and affection on his face. "Will you send Jenna our love?" he asked. He looked up at Alaric, smiling slightly, and then looked back at the air in front of him. "And tell her Ric's taking good care of us."

Caroline watched as Elena placed a hand over her mouth, tears sliding down her cheeks. Alaric shifted, looking touched and heartbroken.

Jeremy's head inclined, as if leaning into an invisible hand. He gazed straight ahead of him, his expression soft and tender. "I'll miss you," he said softly. "I never got a chance to tell you how much I loved you."

Caroline felt another tear slide down her face, even as Jeremy looked over at Bonnie, who was crying silent tears of relief. Jeremy reached out a hand to her, squeezing the hand she placed in his. He looked back up at the air in front of him. "I'll be okay."

For a long moment Jeremy was still, staring in front of him. And then he turned, looking around at them. "They're gone," he said, his voice low. He looked up at Alaric, then at Elena. "They said Jenna's doing okay." He slid a long glance up at Alaric. "Apparently she and Isobel are bonding over things they have in common."

Caroline watched as Alaric's eyes widened in disbelief, and then a look of pain flashed across his face. And then he smiled, nodding. Elena let out a soft sob, wrapping her arms around Jeremy's neck. He released Bonnie's hand, hugging his sister.

Caroline slowly looked behind her, then again at the rest of the room. She cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention to her. "So… Now that Jeremy's alive again… Can we talk about this?" She lifted her hand, thumbing back at the large crate behind her and Tyler.

Elena reluctantly pulled away from her brother, looking up at her, then at the others. "You brought back the original woman?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

They all exchanged uneasy looks. Elena was probably not going to be happy when she learned the truth of their mission—and why they had locked her in the cell in the Salvatore house with Damon. "Speaking of getting back," Caroline offered brightly, looking over at Bonnie. "How did we get here, anyway?"

Bonnie's gaze fell to Lucy's shredded, bleeding body. "She brought us back," she said softly. Caroline watched as Bonnie lifted her hand to the fireplace, which suddenly burst to life.

Caroline felt her heart drop into her stomach as Bonnie looked back at them, a small smile of relief gracing her features.

"And she gave me her powers."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**: I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to anyone! I've read all of your reviews, and I am so grateful for all of them! They keep me cheerful while I'm at work! :D LOL! Thank you guys, so much! I promise I will get back to you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Elena hesitantly eyed the stake in front of her. She studied the once handsome, refined face in front of her, ashen and shriveled in his state of inanimation. All she had to do was pull the stake out, and he would burst back to life. She had done it before, and she could do it again. She just needed to gather her courage.<p>

"Don't do it," Damon sing-songed warningly, his voice right in her ear. She jumped, looking up at him. His blue eyes were intense, strong and heated. "Remember he turned on us? He's the whole reason Klaus was able to get away from Bonnie in the first place!"

"But Klaus turned on him," Elena reminded, thinking back to what the others relayed Lucy had heard from Katherine. "So maybe he'll want him dead. Again."

"Or maybe he'll want _us_ dead," Damon returned, impatient. She looked up through her lashes as he leaned an arm against the open edge of the crate, looming over her. "Come on, Elena," he urged. "Don't fall for this." He sneered at the corpse-like figure in front of them. "He deserves this."

She didn't know why, but she suddenly thought of Damon, laying soaked with sweat, dying in her arms. _"I deserve this,"_ he had said. _"I deserve to die."_

But Damon didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to die anymore than Elijah deserved to be entombed in his own flesh for eternity, just for trying to find his family. She steeled her nerves, her mind made up, and yanked on the stake in his chest.

Damon was in front of her before she could blink, the stake no longer in her hand but his, pointed right where she had removed it. The body in front of them began to flush with color, a solid, milky white hue, filling out the withered flesh. The eyes flew open, the mouth gaping to gasp for breath.

"One wrong move and I'll stake you," Damon stated warningly. "I don't care if it kills me, too."

"Damon," Elena pleaded, tugging on his arm to no avail. She watched Elijah's eyes flit between them, then scan around the room, taking in his surroundings and his company. And then Elijah seemed to settle back, his breathing slowing.

His eyes fell to her, then to Damon. "You may remove that," he told him, without looking down at the stake. "I mean you no harm." He turned to Elena, his head cocked. "Though I must confess to feeling a bit perplexed… Why have you brought me back after I betrayed you?"

Elena swallowed hard. "I betrayed you once, and you gave me another chance," she reminded him. "So now I'm offering you the same." She narrowed her eyes at him. "But if you betray us again, we will shove this stake in you and put you right back where we found you. Do you understand?"

Elijah inclined his head at her, studying her closely. "I never fail to find the ability of the human heart's capacity for forgiveness… astonishing." He looked up at Damon. "Do you, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon sneered at him, jamming the stake harder against the flesh. "I prefer simple answers," he told Elijah angrily. "So just answer with yes or no—do you want to help us find and kill your brother?"

Elijah's eyes dropped to Elena. "My family… You found them?"

Elena hesitantly looked back to the others, who were standing behind her and Damon in a semi-circle, as if protecting them.

"Was one of them about, this tall?" Alaric finally asked, gesturing to his eyes. "Light brown hair?"

Elijah's expression brightened. "So he did put me with them."

Elena frowned up at him. "You knew he would kill you?"

Elijah looked down at her. "I have known my brother for far longer than you can imagine, Miss Gilbert. I know full well what he is capable of." His expression lifted into one of amusement. "I had the cloaking spell cast on me removed." Elena's heart skipped as one corner of his mouth quirked into a slight smile. "In case anyone ever came looking for me."

Damon suddenly stepped forward, again ramming the stake against Elijah's chest. Elena's heart skipped, uttering sounds of protest as the stake began to pierce flesh. "That's still not a yes or no," he retorted. "Should I repeat the question for you?"

All amusement vanished from Elijah's face as he leveled Damon with a stare. "Mr. Salvatore, I want my brother dead more than you can possibly comprehend in the tiny little speck of existence that has been your lifespan," he returned, his voice clipped with anger. "I merely wanted my family returned to me. That is all." He arched an eyebrow. "Something I trust you can understand?"

Damon flipped the stake in the air, catching it in his hand as it fell back down. He leaned back, allowing Elijah an exit from the crate. "Guess that's close to a yes," he offered, rolling his eyes.

Elena felt relief wash over her as Elijah stepped out, once again looking around the room. "And where is the younger brother?" he asked, turning to Elena.

"Klaus has him in some sort of indentured servitude," Damon answered. "We want you to get him out."

Elijah stared at him, seeming to pale. Elena's heart skipped. "I'm sorry… I must have misheard you… Did you say my brother has… your brother… in his care?"

"You want the short version?" Damon snapped. "Wolf-boy over there bit me," he jerked his thumb at Tyler, "Klaus' blood was the cure. Stefan is paying for it for a few years by being his bitch."

Elijah's eyes locked onto Damon's endlessly. After another few moments of uncomfortable silence, Elena spoke up. "What?" she asked, frowning. "What is it?"

Elijah's eyes fell closed, and then reopened, settling on her. She thought there was some fondness there, but mostly, it appeared to be sadness.

Her heart began to beat in pronounced thuds against her ribs.

"Klaus can only want Stefan for one thing," he said, his voice heavy.

"A conscience?" Damon offered, with a derisive snort. Elena felt a chill go through her. "I doubt he's the type."

Elijah's eyes pierced Damon's. "No," he returned flatly. He let out a soft sigh. "To aid him in his quest to destroy the original." He looked down at Elena again. "The original woman."

Elena felt a chill go down her spine. "Destroy the original woman?" she repeated. "The one who created the doppelganger?"

Elijah's face turned to stone, his eyes darkening in anger. In his vehemence, he seemed to grow larger, his presence more massive and intimidating than his slender size. "Created her?" he repeated. "She did not create her. She was stolen by the doppelganger. Cursed by her."

Quickly, hoping to placate him, Elena hurried on. "We found Damon and Stefan's mother's journal," she told Elijah. "She was visited by a woman who told her about the original woman, and the curse of the doppelganger. And she said her sons would look after Damon and Stefan because they were their…" she trailed off, slowly looking between Elijah and Damon.

She didn't know how she had missed it before. How she hadn't realized what the statement meant. But somehow, amongst everything else that had happened, she hadn't put it together. She hadn't understood what the words were really saying.

"Great to the power of a hundredth grandchildren," Damon finished, rolling his eyes. He turned back to Elijah. "So then someone got it in their head that she needed to go to the original woman and take her place, even though it doesn't say that in the journal. It just says that Stefan and I needed to find you and your brother."

Elijah's head lowered, then rose. When he addressed them, it seemed as if his mind had been made up. "It sounds like my mother," he announced. "She was always trying to lift the curse of the doppelganger."

"Whatever," Damon declared, sounding irritated. "Now that you know what we know, why don't you tell us what _you_ know?"

Elijah studied him, then Elena. To her surprise, there was a look of tenderness and sorrow there. "Very well," he agreed. "May I have something to drink, first?"

Elena turned back to the others. Alaric was already holding a glass filled with red liquid, which he extended to Damon. Damon took it, turning back to Elijah. The ancient vampire tipped it in acknowledgment, then polished it off in seconds.

Then he let out a deep breath. "Perhaps it is best if you sit," he suggested, gesturing to the couch. He met Elena's eyes. "You will not like what I am about to tell you."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** I fell asleep last night at 7:00. I am so sorry! And here we've been waiting for this chapter. Why this chapter? Well we're finally about to find out how Damon feels about the curse... HA! Did you see that coming in the same chapter as Elijah's reveal? I didn't, either... LOL! Thank you guys for your wonderful comments! I am so glad you like this story!

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><p>"I told you once," Elijah began, as if addressing an entire auditorium of people and not just the handful of them clustered around the room, "the story of how we became vampires was long and convoluted. I was hoping to save you from having to know the truth, but I see that is no longer possible."<p>

Elena's heart skipped into her throat. Beside her on the couch, Damon tensed, his hand gripping his thigh almost imperceptibly, as if he were trying not to make a fist.

"The original woman…" he hesitated. "Annabelle… She was my wife." Elena's heart ached at the obvious pain in Elijah's voice before he seemed to get a hold of himself, steeling himself. "We had three children—Josiah, Aiden, and Olivia." His eyes took on a faraway look. "We were blissfully happy, the five of us. I recall thinking a man should never be so blessed." He offered a wry smile. "As it turns out, I was not."

He lowered his head, as if seeing everything unfold right in front of him all over again. "I had come in from the fields early one night… It had started to rain and my wife had been acting strangely for weeks, so thinking she was ill, I decided to tend to her." Bitterly, he went on. "But I arrived home to find my brother tending to her instead."

Elena sucked in a quick breath, the innuendo lying heavy in the air around them. "I knew in that moment something wasn't just wrong with my wife," Elijah went on, his voice soft. "My wife loved my brother as her own. To lie with him… It was not something she would have done. But my brother…" He glared coldly out the window, as if he could see Klaus standing there. He shook himself and turned back to them, his voice clipped once more. "When I discovered my wife's lifeless body in the woods near our house, I knew the truth. Some creature of darkness had taken her image and replaced her. I rallied my family together, except my brother, desperate to save my wife."

Elijah's face took on a haunted expression. "She slaughtered my children before my very eyes. My youngest son—Aiden—managed to escape into the night, but the rest of us she decided to torment for all of eternity." He lifted his eyes to them. "She turned our lust for her death into a curse. And thus we became vampires—creatures of darkness. Destined only to kill and hunger for blood, as she believed we had done to her." He paused. "But my younger brother, who had protected her, she protected in kind. She released his werewolf side, making him nearly invincible. And she promised, as he had loved her, her descendents would always love him."

Elena's stomach churned as Elijah's eyes leveled on her. "The curse of the doppelganger placed on my only surviving son was to always be drawn back to the very thing he had run from. And every time his lineage contained two brothers, as mine had, the fate that fell upon us would fall upon them." She was sure she would throw up when Elijah turned to Damon. "The elder brother would not be able to stop himself from loving the doppelganger, but she would always choose the younger brother." He gave a dry smile. "The symmetry of it is really quite poetic."

There was a heavy silence in the room as they all absorbed Elijah's words. Elena's head spun, unable to keep all of her thoughts straight. "So you're saying," she began, nearly choking on her words, "that I'm _cursed_ to love Stefan?"

His eyes came down and met hers. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you?"

"But…" she protested, feeling sick inside. "It feels real. How can you say everything was just the curse? Was just a lie?"

"It is cursed to be love," Elijah returned smoothly. "There is nothing false about it."

"What about our baby brother's bonding?" Damon broke in, sounding strangely irritated. Elena's heart skipped as she looked up at him, then over at Elijah.

Elijah's face turned grim. "There is only one way to destroy a doppelganger. To return her to her world and restore the original. That would remove her curse—all of her curses—forever. But to make the doppelganger's curse permanent, the original must be destroyed." He let out a deep breath. "If Klaus has Stefan, as you say, he can only be trying to use him to destroy Annabelle. For good."

"How?" Damon pestered.

"My younger brother has no weakness. No shred of humanity left inside of him. But he still cannot kill an original." He stared into the distance. "Not without the blood of her kin."

"Stefan," Elena breathed.

Elijah nodded slightly. "He will use Stefan's blood to destroy her." He picked up the stake on the table, the same one Damon had held against him. "Just as this dipped in ash can stop one of us, dipped in our kin's blood, it can kill us."

"Then why hasn't he done it already?" Damon asked, frowning.

Elijah shook his head, setting the stake down. He clasped his hands in front of him. "Why?" he returned. "Klaus believes all of us to be safely tucked away in," he glanced back at the crate he had emerged from, "boxes." He turned back to them. "Why not spend time with one who was made in your image? I'm sure it does his ego good." His face grew serious. "When he tires of him, he will use his blood to destroy the original."

Elena's heart skipped. "What do you mean, made in his image?" she asked uneasily.

Elijah turned from Damon to address her. "My descendents were all doomed to follow the fate of my brother and I. And like our fate, they are much like us." His eyes fell to Damon. "You were much like I was when you were younger."

Damon stood abruptly. "Good thing I grew up," he returned tauntingly, clearly irritated. He stalked to the serving table, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"It appears as though you regressed," Elijah corrected, then turned to face him. "Though you seem different since we last saw one another."

"Well, I did get bitten by a werewolf," Damon reminded, a mocking smile on his face.

"Yes," Elijah agreed, almost thoughtfully. "And Klaus gave you his blood to heal you."

Damon made a face. "Because my brother sold himself for it," he retorted.

Elijah studied him. "Perhaps…" he drawled.

Damon polished off the contents in his glass, setting it down on the table with a loud crack. "While I'm really enjoying you undressing me with your eyes, I gotta tell you—it's not going to happen. We're—distantly—related, and that kinda puts a big 'do not pass go' sign on you."

Elijah blinked at him, drawing up straight. He looked back down at Elena. "You are prepared to trade your life to break the curse?"

She sucked in a breath, unable to meet Damon's eyes. She nodded. "Yes."

Elijah nodded slowly, then briskly clapped his hands together in front of him. "Then," he announced. "We need a witch."

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><p>Elena hesitantly entered the large, grand bedroom, not bothering to knock as she stepped through the open doorway.<p>

Damon was stretched out on his bed, his head propped up by a half a dozen pillow against the headboard. A book was open on his chest, his eyes fastened on it. He lifted his eyes from the book to her, his expression cold and dark.

"Your mother's journal," she said, sinking down onto the edge of the bed beside him. "Does she say anything about why it was in the Lockwood slave quarters?"

Damon snapped the journal shut, closing it on his chest. "Does it matter?" he returned accusingly. "You're not going to be here to care."

She sucked in a breath. "Damon," she pleaded. "You know why I'm doing this. Why I have to do this."

"To save everyone, blah blah blah," he growled. He sat up. "Spare me, Elena, I've heard this speech before."

He slid off of the bed behind her, standing. Her heart ached as she rose to her feet, desperate for him to understand. To not let their final moments together be with them fighting.

"It's not just for all of you," she countered, her heart aching with silent tears. She met his cold blue eyes as they pierced through her. "Damon, you and Stefan aren't the only ones cursed here. I am, too. Everything Stefan and I have gone through together, everything I feel for him…" She shook her head. "It's all just been a curse. I didn't have a choice to love him."

He stalked toward her, glaring down at her. "We can't control how we feel," he agreed, his voice rough. "But we can control what we do about it. And you and Stefan ran right to each other. You can call that a curse, or destiny, or whatever else you want to call it, but those are simple facts. If it wasn't meant to be, it wouldn't have lasted. You would have been in some horrible push and pull relationship with him, unable to stop loving him but unable to walk away."

She spun as he started to walk by her, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Is this fair to you?" she demanded, silently begging him to understand. He froze with his back to her, as if rooted to the ground by her words. "You had no choice in it, either, Damon." She crossed the distance between them, stepping in front of him to look into his cold, unforgiving face. "None of us had a choice. None of this is _real_."

He glared at her, so coldly she trembled. "Think what you want," he returned flatly, then turned to the door.

"Damon—" she protested, grabbing onto his arm.

She cried out as her hand was caught, Damon's flashing blue eyes trained on hers. He seemed to have expanded in her vision, until she could see nothing but him looming over her. Her hand ached where he held it between them, so close she could feel his chest heaving with every breath.

"I had a choice to love you," he told her, his voice dark. "I had a choice to walk away. It would have been easy a hundred times. I _chose_ not to. Even watching you and my brother, I chose to stay. So you can think whatever you want about this curse, or who you were 'forced' to love, but I decided what I did with how I felt, Elena. Just like you did."

She choked on her breath, a hundred emotions washing over her. She stared at the empty space in front of her where Damon had occupied only seconds before, and slowly sank to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself.

And there, in the solitude of Damon's room, she cried.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** To clear up some confusion around the original woman's "lifeless" body—she wasn't dead. Just lifeless. Her "spirit" "soul" etc. had been taken by the doppelganger, and her body was just left in the woods.

There's also been some questions about Elena having broken the curse because she already fell in love with Damon. But what kind of story would this be of mine if there wasn't another twist to it? ;)

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><p>Elena drew in all of her strength as she made her way from the hallway to the living room, bracing herself for more of Damon's anger. She had already checked his bedroom, but it was empty, so she knew he had to be down there, sitting on the couch, probably already nursing a glass of whiskey.<p>

As she stepped into the room, she noticed with confusion it was empty. She cocked her head, listening for any sounds in the house, but it was eerily silent. Her eyes fell to a note on the coffee table, her heart plummeting into her chest as she read her name on it, scrawled in Damon's unmistakable handwriting.

Her fingers trembled, anxiety wracking over her as she reached for the note. She unfolded the sheet of paper, finding it blank except for two words.

_I'm sorry._

"No," she said aloud, as if she could fight them off just by speaking. She didn't need to ask; didn't need to have been there to know where Damon was. What he was doing. She raced up the stairs, desperate for it to be a lie, rushing into Damon's empty bedroom. Her eyes scanned the walls for the bag he had taken on his road trip with Alaric.

It was gone.

"No," she said again, pleading. She rushed to the next room, throwing open the door and flipping on the light. Alaric's eyes flew open, looking over at her. Her breathing had become ragged, tears blurring her vision.

"Elena?" Alaric asked, sounding stricken and wide awake. He sat up, quickly standing from the bed. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She strode into the room, thrusting the note at him. He looked down at it uncertainly, the frown of concern on his face shifting to dawning realization. "No," he said softly. Still holding the note, he held firmly to her shoulders, locking her eyes onto his. "We're going to find him. He still doesn't know where Klaus and Stefan are, either. We'll find him, Elena."

"We need to find Bonnie," Elena told him, shaking. "She'll be able to locate him."

He nodded, releasing her shoulders. She turned and hurried out of the room, back down the stairs, yanking out her cell phone. On the third ring, she heard the phone connect.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked, sounding surprised. "I was just about to head over there. What's—"

"Damon's gone," she told her, frantic. The words seemed to have some power over her; a weight she hadn't expected. She clutched the arm rail of the stairs, lowering herself to them, and hugged her arms around herself. "He—he left this note, and… He's gone."

"He's… gone?" Bonnie repeated uncertainly. "What do you mean, he's gone? What did the note say?"

She trembled, holding the phone with both hands to keep it steady. "We think he went after Klaus."

Bonnie sucked in a breath. "To kill the original woman?"

She nodded quickly, trying to maintain calm. "We've got to find him, Bonnie. We've got to stop him."

"I'll be right there. Don't go anywhere."

"Please hurry," Elena begged, running a hand through her hair. She ended the phone call with Bonnie, holding her head, curling into herself. She focused on her breathing, trying to force her terrified thoughts from her mind. Damon still didn't know where Klaus was. They still had hope of reaching him before he found Klaus. They could still stop him.

"Elena?"

She looked up at Elijah's voice, releasing her hair. He stood at the bottom of the steps, staring at her with a look of concern, his head cocked as his eyes took in everything.

"Damon's gone," she said softly, her voice thick.

All at once Elijah's face cleared, a look of understanding smoothing his handsome, timeless features. "To find our brothers, I trust," he drawled.

She shook her head, shrugging helplessly. "We think so."

"To stop you from trading your life for Annabelle's." He straightened, inclining his head at her. "Shall I tell you, Miss Gilbert, of the rest of the curse placed on you and my descendents?"

She lifted her head, stricken. "What?" she asked.

"Surely you did not miss the parallels between our paths. Two brothers, in love with the same woman." He arched an eyebrow at her. "But it was _I_, the elder brother, who was Annabelle's husband."

Elena slowly straightened. "What are you saying?" she asked, scarcely able to get the words out.

Elijah was strangely calm, and yet she sensed a touch of sadness in him… Of sorrow for what he was about to say. "The doppelganger is merely an image of the woman who she came from. The feelings she had for me could not be quelled by any spell. As every doppelganger after her was cursed, and every one of my descendents cursed, those parallels of our lives maintained."

Elena drew back. "You're saying…?" she began, a sickened churn growing in her stomach. "You're saying I'm also cursed to love _Damon_?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Is it so hard to believe?" He studied her. "I would think not, from looking at you."

It was the last thing she expected to hear. She stared at him, stunned, unable to form words. There was a sound behind her, a loud creak of a floorboard. She whirled around as she leapt to her feet, looking up at Alaric as he stared down at her. From his face, she knew he had heard, and even as she tried to explain, his expression cleared. He joined her on the stair, placing a strong, comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What you do with your life is your decision, Elena," he said quietly. "Cursed or not." He gave a light squeeze. "We'll find him."

She was struck by the familiarity of the words, even as she remembered Damon's from the night before. Damon must have known even then what he was going to do.

She forced herself to nod, her heart feeling like it would splinter in her chest. The front door of the house opened, Bonnie and Jeremy appearing in the doorway. Bonnie was panting for air, a bag over her shoulder. Jeremy's eyes were wide, confusion and concern turning his features into a frown.

"I'm ready," Bonnie said, patting the bag.

Elena nodded, trembling as she broke away from Alaric. She ducked her head as she passed by Elijah, following Bonnie into the living room. Bonnie quickly laid out the stack of maps, removing the cauldron and some bottles from her bag. She looked up at Elena. "We need something of his," she said.

Elena quickly scanned the room, finding one of Damon's gloves sitting on the table. She stood and retrieved it, bringing it back to Bonnie. Bonnie poured the herbs from her bottles into the cauldron, then tossed in Damon's glove.

A dark smoke drifted up from inside the cauldron. As it had done when Lucy had done the locator spell, the smoke covered the map completely. Elena could barely hear Bonnie's chanting through the pounding in her heart, waiting in breathless anticipation for the smoke to clear.

Bonnie's eyes suddenly opened, her chanting stopped. She had a strange frown on her face, alarmed and uneasy. Elena watched, her heart jumping into her throat, as she began shuffling through the maps.

"What is it?" Elena asked quickly. "What's wrong?"

Bonnie slowly settled back, a sickened look on her face. "He found a witch," she said softly. "I can't locate him."

It was like a dagger to her chest. Elena stared at her, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "What do you mean?" she asked, trembling. "What do you mean you can't locate him?"

"He's cloaked." Bonnie looked down at the maps, empty of all ash, then back up at Elena. Her dark eyes were flooded with sorrow. "I can't locate him."

For a moment, it was like the world had stopped spinning. Everything around her lost color and movement as she stared at Bonnie, unable to think clearly.

And then she slid in front of her friend, gritting her teeth. "Then connect me to him," she ordered.

Bonnie's eyes flashed in fear. "Elena—"

"Bonnie, it's Damon!" Elena pleaded. "We have to find him." She stood, grabbed a pair of scissors from the table, and snipped off a chunk of her hair. She returned to the cauldron, sitting across from Bonnie. She held out the chunk of her hair and the note in her hand, seeing the items jerk as she shook.

And then Bonnie seemed to make up her mind. She took the items in Elena's hand, and began chanting.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** This is it, guys! This is the chapter that spawned the whole story in the beginning! This chapter is why I wrote this story in the first place! LOL! I had been dying to write this chapter from page one. And now it's here... I hope it lives up to the hype I'm creating. LOL! Thank you guys so much for all of your amazing, insightful, supportive, encouraging reviews! They really, truly mean the world to me. I am so grateful to each one of you. Thank you!

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><p>"The elder Mr. Salvatore," Klaus greeted, his silky voice booming across the living room. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" He flashed a taunting smile, full of teeth. "It's not to take your baby brother back, is it? I fear he's rather…" He cast a long look over his shoulder, where Stefan stood with an arm around two badly bitten, half-dressed women. Klaus smirked. "Enjoying himself."<p>

Elena felt the disbelief and horror go through Damon at the sight before him—at the sight of his little brother's unkempt, disheveled appearance. He looked heavily intoxicated, but as Stefan's eyes met Damon's, something inside of him seemed to shake loose and he straightened, looking stricken.

"Not really," Damon drawled. Elena felt his burning need to protect his brother overtake all instinct to survive as he strolled easily past Klaus, putting himself between the vampire and Stefan. "I just missed my brother, is all. Wondered why he should get to have all the fun."

"Really," Klaus drawled. "Now tell me, Mr. Salvatore, why would I let you tag along with us? We've been having _so_ much fun by ourselves, you see." Elena felt Damon's fury surge as Klaus leaned past him, to look at Stefan. "Haven't we, Stefan?"

"Damon," Stefan finally choked out. Elena felt the ache in Damon's heart as he turned back to look at his brother. Stefan looked torn—horrified. Elena felt Damon's disgust at Stefan's clothes, covered in blood, and what he had been doing to get that way. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find you," Damon returned flippantly. Inside, Elena could feel his heart aching. "You look like hell, by the way." She watched through Damon's eyes as he turned back to look up at Klaus. She felt him steel his nerves, preparing himself for what he had to do to protect Elena. Even if it meant her hating him forever. He could deal with her hating him, as long as she was still alive to do it.

A wave of brief sorrow washed over him, but she felt him push it down. Inside him, she cried silent, unheard tears, desperately begging him to stop. "I offer you a proposition," he told Klaus. "One I'm sure you're going to like." His gaze swept deliberately around the room, taking in the surroundings. They were lavish and rich, clearly a mansion. "I could get used to this kind of place. We never would have thought to look for you right under our noses."

Klaus studied him curiously, ignoring him. "A proposition, you say?" he asked.

Damon jerked his thumb at Stefan. "You let him go," he began, "and I'll tell you what I know." Elena felt him deliberately flash a devilish grin. "I guarantee you it's worth it."

Inside his head, Elena screamed, desperate to stop him. Desperate to make him listen. Klaus arched an eyebrow at him. "That's a very bold statement, Mr. Salvatore," he drawled. "Are you sure you're worth my time?"

"Damon," Stefan said, his breath catching in his throat.

Elena felt Damon relax inside, knowing that his brother was still in there, despite the appearance. "I guarantee it." Damon shrugged. "After all… I am your descendent, aren't I?"

Klaus' eyes blazed. "Leave us," he ordered Stefan.

"Ah ah," Damon corrected, quickly sliding in front of Stefan. "The deal was you would let him go."

Elena choked for air as she saw Klaus' arm come into Damon's vision, wrapping firmly around his throat. She felt the pain as Klaus' finger pressed right on his windpipe, almost crushing it. Damon struggled for air, trying to suck in as much as he could, but she could feel the strength inside of him. He wasn't going to talk until his terms were met.

She would die if he did.

Elena sobbed brokenly as he looked up at Klaus. "There are no terms," Klaus told him coldly. "The terms are that I haven't killed you already. You can be grateful for that." He gave Damon's body a rough shake. "Now speak."

"You kill me, and everything I know is going with me." Damon flashed a cocky smile, one she knew he didn't feel. "And don't forget—I served during the Civil War. I know what torture is."

And Elena knew it, then, too. Knew how to disassociate from the pain of burning coals shoved against the skin, and tiny rods of metal being shoved through delicate tissue. Damon had experienced torture first-hand, and he had never broken. He would never break.

The woman he loved and his baby brother depended on his silence.

Elena sobbed, trying to hug him. He was released, staggering back several steps as he gasped for air. Stefan was already at his side, trying to hold him up, trying to comfort him.

"Very well, then," Klaus agreed, his voice strangely amiable. "You are released, Stefan. In your place, I shall take your brother."

Elena felt the relief flood through Damon; the jolt of shock that jarred Stefan. "But if you disappoint me," Klaus warned Damon, "know that I will find him and torture him for centuries while you watch."

She felt the shiver go through Damon; the tremor of terror. It was quickly covered up with a confident smile. "I'm worth five of Stefan. I'm _way_ more fun than he is." He turned to Stefan, holding out a pair of keys. She felt the heaviness of his heart as he waited for Stefan to take them. "You'll be home in time for dinner," he said lightly.

"Damon," Stefan breathed. "I won't just—"

She felt the ache in his heart as he shoved the keys into Stefan's hand, knowing he would never see his brother again; knowing he would never see Elena again. His hand seized Stefan's shoulder, throwing open the door and shoving him outside.

And then he slammed the door shut and turned to face Klaus.

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><p>Elena gasped haggardly for breath as she opened her eyes, her vision blurry. She blinked, feeling wetness on her cheeks. She looked around wildly, meeting Bonnie's terrified eyes and Jeremy's stricken, alarmed ones.<p>

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked desperately. "Elena?"

Elena panted for air, her heart aching in her chest. "They're within a few hours of here," she gasped out. "In a mansion of some sort."

Elijah pivoted. "A mansion a few hours from here?" he repeated, studying her. "That would be the Virginia estate. I know where it is."

"Let's go," Elena ordered, trying to sit up.

"Elena, wait," Bonnie begged. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Elena looked at her wildly. "I'm fine. We have to _go_. Damon's about to tell Klaus we're going to go after Annabelle and break the curse. We have to stop them."

"If he does all that," Elijah drawled. "Wouldn't it be safer to assume they will head to her body?"

Elena looked up at him, stricken with the realization. She nodded slowly, trying to get to her feet, which felt strangely weak and unsteady.

"Elena, take a minute," Bonnie pleaded, as Jeremy and Alaric helped her to the couch to sit down. Elena tried to protest, but Bonnie's dark brown eyes were desperate. "I couldn't pull you out, Elena. I tried… I kept trying… But you wouldn't let go. I couldn't get you to come out of it." Bonnie's eyes were fearful, scared of what had happened. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Bonnie, I'm fine," Elena insisted.

"Damon is a ruthless, cold-blooded—" Bonnie began uncertainly, uneasy.

"He's doing this to protect us," Elena shot back, a surge of anger rushing through her. "He traded himself for Stefan. He knows what he's doing is wrong but all he can think about," she suddenly lost all air in her lungs, and had to take a breath, "all he can think about is how to save us." She looked around the room, desperate to find a sympathetic eye. She finally zeroed in on Alaric, who looked as sad as she felt. "We have to go now. Please."

Alaric nodded, reaching down to help her to her feet. She clung to his shoulders as he swept her up in his arms, carrying her out of the house and down to the car. "Thank you," she whispered, burrowing her head in his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to see Damon in servitude to that vampire any more than you do." Alaric reached for the car door.

"Wait!" Bonnie yelled out. Alaric turned, still holding Elena in his arms. Bonnie ran to them, her dark eyes wide and flooded with fear and understanding. "I can transport us there. It will be faster."

"Are you sure you can do it?" Alaric asked hesitantly.

"I can do it," Bonnie assured him confidently. Her eyes met Elena's. "If this is your choice, then I have to let you make it."

Elena grasped her hand gratefully. Alaric carried her back into the house, setting her down on the ground. Bonnie drew a wide circle on the ground, encompassing all of them, and knelt down as she began chanting.

A fierce, painful burst of wind washed over her. She cringed, opening her eyes when the wind died down.

They were in a basement of some sort, the walls lined with large crates like the one Elijah had emerged from. Elena forced herself to her feet, allowing Alaric to support her as Elijah immediately went to the last one in the row. He easily lifted off the front of it, pulling it away.

An older version of Elena stood there, her expression peaceful, her body still and unmoving. She looked almost like a doll, frozen forever in time. Elena stood, transfixed, unable to look away. Long brown hair tumbled over delicate shoulders in large waves. Tanned skin appeared smooth and ageless. Long lashes rimmed large, closed eyes. Perfectly shaped lips were pale, smooth and soft looking. She wore a long white dress with long sleeves, a deep scoop around the neck. A simple gold chain hung from her neck.

"Annabelle," Elijah said softly. Elena watched as he lightly touched her hair, his movements full of reverence. He slowly turned back to Elena, who looked up at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Elijah asked, then. "It is not your duty to end this curse."

Elena nodded, with more courage than she felt. "I'm sure," she declared.

Elijah turned to Bonnie. "I believe you know it as the mirror spell," he told her.

Bonnie swallowed hard, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I know it," she agreed quietly. She wrapped her arms tightly around Elena, hugging her close. Elena clutched her, hugging her best friend for all she was worth.

And then Bonnie released her, sinking down to her knees as she began to chant.

Elena took Jeremy's hand, hugging her younger brother fiercely. "I love you," she told him.

She felt him clasp her tightly. "I love you, too." He pulled back, staring at her as if trying to memorize her face. "Don't forget that, wherever you end up."

She flashed a watery smile, nodding. She looked up at Alaric's broken expression, and still holding Jeremy's hand, addressed the man. "Take good care of him for me, okay?"

He nodded. "I will."

Her fingers started to tingle. The sensation spread up her hands and her arms, until it encompassed her entire body. She slowly looked down at Bonnie, who was still chanting, and then up at the original woman.

The heavily-lashed eyes gently pulled apart, gazing down at her.

"I'm here to free you," Elena told her softly. The tingling began to grow stronger, a strange sense of disconnection spreading through her.

The woman in the crate's lips parted, her eyes widening in surprise. As Elena's body started to feel weaker, almost as if she weren't even controlling it anymore, the woman began to move, her hands unclasping from in front of her.

"_Elena!"_

The horrified shout tore across the stone room. She snapped her head to the left, finding Damon's stricken, terrified face staring back at her. She offered him a smile, silently pleading with him to understand.

He had betrayed her to protect her.

And she would betray him to save him.

She looked back at the woman, feeling her body fall away from her mind as she slowly stepped into the tomb with her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** I am _so sorry_ this is so late, you guys! And it left on such a cliff-hanger and I've gotten such incredible comments... I really can't apologize enough. I've been crazy-busy with real life stuff. I am so, so sorry! I want you all to know I have read every single review and every time I'm feeling just the slightest bit down I re-read them and I start to feel better. So thank you guys so much! I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet! But to show my appreciation (and my apology for the delay in chapter-posting!) I'm posting two chapters! Thank you all so much for sticking with this story and coming back to read and leaving all of these wonderful reviews. Truly, thank you!

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><p>The woman who emerged from the box Elena had stepped into looked like Elena in every way. She was older, of course, but it was undeniably Elena. She looked strangely innocent and goddess-like in bare feet and a long white dress, dark hair spilling out over her shoulders. She looked around, at all of them, finally focusing on Elijah.<p>

"Elijah?" she asked, and that was not Elena's voice anymore than Katherine's was. "Elijah!" She threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.

Damon watched as he hugged her back, clutching her to him in something akin to relief. Beside him, Klaus had tensed, but he made no move to strike, almost as if the woman were a shield. A barrier he could not cross.

"Where are we?" the woman asked, pulling back to look up at him. "Where are the children?"

Damon had never seen the composed, strangely inflectionless gentleman look so emotional. He cupped her cheek gently. "They are gone, Annabelle," he said softly.

"Gone?" she repeated, sounding bewildered. She turned around, surveying the occupants of the room again. "But…" She paused, studying Klaus, her eyes widening with horror. "You," she whispered.

Klaus stepped forward. "Hello again, Annabelle," he greeted calmly.

She staggered back several steps, backing into Elijah. "What have you done to me?" she cried. "What did you do?"

Damon watched Elijah's tender expression sharpen into one of fierce hatred as he lifted his eyes, glaring at his younger brother. Klaus' body was tense, but his voice steady. "I merely… traded you, for awhile," he told her.

Elijah stepped forward, putting himself in front of the woman. "What have you done?" he seethed, his eyes burning red.

Klaus' hands curled as if into claws. "It was her fault," he growled. "She was always shooting me coy looks—taunting me with what could never be mine. She is to blame here, brother! Not me!"

"What did you _do_?" Elijah shouted thunderously, his voice shaking the room.

"I traded her," Klaus repeated coldly. "For the woman inside of her who could not resist me."

Damon quickly jumped out of the way as Elijah threw Klaus against the far wall. He hurried to the others, shepherding them and the woman into a corner, standing in front of them as the two vampires flew from one side of the room to another, their backs cracking the stone under them.

"What… how are they…?" he heard the woman breathe.

He turned around, struck by her resemblance to Elena. He steeled himself. "You were replaced with a doppelganger. A bunch of curses later, I'm your descendent a million times removed, and those two are vampires."

He seized her shoulders, ignoring her gasp of surprise. "And the woman I love just traded her life to bring you to back, so you better be able to stop it and lift all these curses!"

She trembled, nodding, and for a moment, Damon thought he could see a shred of Elena inside of her. And then she stepped past him, holding up her hands as she began to chant, her voice wavering.

The two original vampires suddenly stopped fighting, looking over at her.

"No!" Klaus yelled.

Elijah clutched onto him, holding him back. The woman stopped chanting, her hands hesitating. "Finish, Annabelle," Elijah urged. "Finish it now, and let us all rest in peace."

The woman's arms straightened, firming. Her powerful voice rose as she continued her chanting. Damon watched Klaus struggle against Elijah's grip, fighting to get to the woman, but Elijah held firm, holding him back.

The woman finished with an explosive cry, the two vampires collapsing in front of them. The woman panted for breath, taking unsteady steps to Elijah's quickly deteriorating body. She held it in her arms, hugging him tightly.

She chanted softly under her breath, still holding him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

And then she collapsed on top of him.

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><p>Katherine Pierce let out a shriek of pain, clutching her arms around her stomach. She looked up at the nameless, faceless man in front of her, who she had charmed into being her hot lunch. The man straightened, alarmed, staggering away from her.<p>

She watched in horror as her arms began to gray, the veins bulging from beneath weathered, leathery skin. She was dying. She was dying, and it didn't make any sense.

She thought of Stefan and Damon, then, the two Salvatore boys she had always loved and held a strange fondness for. Of all the boys she had ever loved, it was those two who had stolen her heart the most. She stared at the white ceiling above her head, remembering the feel of both men on her arms.

And then everything went black.

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><p>Stefan Salvatore felt his foot lift from the gas pedal, frowning at the open road in front of him. He slowly pulled off to the side of the road, stopped the car, and stared into the distance. He looked down at his hands, feeling strangely… connected. Almost like a missing part of him had been restored.<p>

He thought of Elena, back home in Mystic Falls, and his brother, at Klaus' mansion. Before, he hadn't been able to control the urge to get back to Elena and see her again so they could figure out how to see Damon, but he suddenly felt unsure about the burning desire. This was his brother, after all… And even if they both died trying to fight Klaus, they would die together. There was no need to involve Elena in it.

He pulled a u-turn on the open road, heading back in the direction he had come from, a renewed sense of determination in him. He would get back to Elena when he could, but first, he needed to save his brother.

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><p>Alaric watched, stricken with grief as Damon finally stumbled forward, almost like a zombie. He fell to his knees beside the woman holding Elijah's quickly-decomposing body, and pulled her into his arms. Alaric felt tears in his eyes as Damon hugged the woman's lifeless body to him, clutching it.<p>

"Wherever you are," Damon said softly, "remember that you're loved here."

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><p>Elena's eyes flew open as she woke with a gasp.<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** We're in the home stretch! Just two more chapters to go!

It was strangely… the same.

Elena found herself falling uneasily into a new routine in the strange, same world. Every now and then she would run into something different—like Jeremy having never gotten into drugs, and Caroline not being a vampire and finally dating Tyler—but it was mostly the same.

Except for two major differences.

Two major, huge differences.

One was that Jenna was alive. Elena had walked into the house and thrown her arms around her aunt, who looked flabbergasted and confused at the sudden display of affection. Elena had burst into tears, clutching her aunt, hugging her fiercely and insisting they spend the entire night together watching movies and eating ice cream. Her bewildered aunt had complied, looking pleased that Elena wanted to spend time with her.

The other difference was no matter where she looked, Damon and Stefan did not appear. She didn't have any pictures of them in her room. She didn't see Stefan at school. It was as if they didn't exist.

On a bright, sunny Saturday morning, Elena found herself in her car, her heart pounding against her ribs as she set off. She drove the relatively short distance to the Salvatore boarding house, her breath catching in her throat as she stared up at the decrepit, run-down building.

She parked her car, feeling anxiety build up inside of her as she slowly made her way to the front door. She reached for the handle, shoving her shoulder against it to break the rusted lock. The door squealed open, falling back against the wall.

The smell of mildew was overwhelming. She sucked in a quick breath, slowly entering the house. It was covered in cobwebs, thick coats of dust over every piece of furniture. She felt tears well up in her eyes at the state the familiar, grand house was in, memories flooding through her mind as she walked along the hallway she knew as well as her own.

She turned to the living room, stepping inside. The house seemed different, somehow, aside from its unkempt appearance. As if it hadn't been touched in decades.

Maybe even a century.

She slowly gazed around the room, her eyes falling to a portrait that had fallen from above the fireplace. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she knelt down, reaching for it to turn it over.

Tears flooded down her cheeks as she stared at the portrait, running her fingers over the familiar faces. There stood Stefan and Damon, side-by-side, older than she knew them to look, but unmistakably them. They stood beside two women she could only assume were their wives, and in front of them, tiny children stood, looking prim and proper. The portrait had to be at least a century old, faded slightly with age, but it was still in remarkable condition.

And it was still them.

Alive.

Human.

She hugged the portrait to herself, sobbing in grief, relief, sadness, and joy. And all at once, it made sense. The doppelganger had not existed in this world. In this world, Damon and Stefan had been allowed to live out their lives the way they were meant to—as humans, not bound by a curse. They had never been turned or become vampires. Katherine had never existed.

It was why no one at the school had ever heard of Alaric. He had never come to Mystic Falls, searching for leads on his wife's murderer.

It was why Jenna was still alive.

It was why Jeremy had never done drugs—in a downward spiral after Vicki's death.

It was why Caroline wasn't a vampire.

This was how their lives were supposed to be. Without the curse of the doppelganger hanging over them.

She hugged the portrait to her, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she stood, surveying the room for any other signs of Stefan and Damon. She fingered the glass bottles on the serving table, her fingers leaving deep impressions in the dust covering them. She choked on another sob, seeing a ghostly image of Damon standing there, pouring himself another drink.

She turned away, going to the bookshelves. Her eyes fell to a photo album, the black faded with age, and slowly pulled it out, sitting with her back against the dust-covered shelves as she opened it to the first page.

She let out another sob, from deep inside, gazing down at the picture of Damon holding his arms out to a small little boy who was running to him. Underneath was a picture of Damon and Stefan standing together, each holding a small child on their hip, their arms around each other. They were smiling brightly, even in the faded photograph, and again she cried, careful not to get tears on the pictures, as she saw the lives they were meant to have.

There were more of the two, sometimes together, sometimes with their families. Near the end of the album were pictures of two old men, surrounded by dozens of people, and she knew without a doubt she was seeing Stefan and Damon after they'd grown old. Aged.

She sobbed again, hysterically, clutching the book to her chest with the portrait. She cried for everything she had lost and everything they had gained, knowing she had done the right thing, even if it meant never seeing either of them again.

When she was finally able to stop her tears, she stood, making her way up the rickety, unsteady stairs. She looked between Stefan and Damon's doors, but found herself pushing open Damon's, stepping into his room.

It was dark and musty in the large, spacious bedroom, but it looked almost unchanged from how she knew it. She inhaled deeply, but his scent was long-gone, filtered out throughout the ages. She gazed around the room, slowly walking to his dresser, covered in tiny knickknacks he had collected. She looked up at herself in the mirror in the darkness, seeing her tear-streaked face gaze back at her.

And then melt.

Into Damon's.

She gasped, her heart pounding against her chest, her adrenaline rushing through her body. Damon stared back at her, looking stunned; unsure.

She swallowed hard, hesitantly placing her hand against the mirror. She watched as he glanced down at her palm, then slowly raised his own, a sad smile spreading across his face. Tears streamed from her eyes as she smiled up at him, moving her hand away from the mirror to turn the portrait she still clung onto to face him.

His eyes fell to the portrait, a look of astonishment and vague confusion marring his handsome, striking features. He studied it for several seconds, then looked back up at her.

She watched as his hand raised, pointer finger extended to the mirror. She followed his movements as he traced out _I love you_.

A sob of pain tore through her, so overwhelming and brutal she felt her knees weaken. She forced herself to nod, wanting to apologize to him for a hundred things—wanting to tell him all the things she could never make herself say to him.

So instead she turned the picture back to herself, hugging it to her. She placed her palm back against the glass, hating it when the cool, cold surface of it was all she felt. Damon placed his hand where hers was, giving her a sad, apologetic look.

She bowed her head, fighting back more sobs. It was cruel, allowing her to see him. It was cruel, and unfair, and hateful. This was a good world—the right world. Things were as they were supposed to be in this world. This was where she belonged.

She raised her head to look back at him, a cry escaping her lips when she only saw her own tear-stained reflection stare back at her. She protested, pleading, desperate, but Damon's face did not reappear.

Damon was gone.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** I am so. so. so. sorry! Things have been crazy. Crazy-crazy. Out-of-control crazy. I haven't even checked my e-mail in over a week. But I am so sorry you guys! I know I left you on a cliff-hanger and right at the end of the story, and I haven't replied to anyone… I'm so sorry! So here you go… The last two chapters! Thank you to everyone who stuck with this story for so long!

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><p>"Elena!"<p>

Elena looked up sharply, pausing with her paintbrush against the long white butcher paper where she was filling in the letter 'W'. Caroline was frowning at her, an unhappy, frustrated look on her face.

"What?" Elena asked, startled.

Caroline placed her hands on her hips, staring hard at her. "I've been calling you for almost a minute." She looked down at the paper. "And you've filled in half of the W? How long have you been at this?"

She swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "Sorry, Car. I was just off in my own world." She cringed inwardly at the words, a wave of pain washing over her. "What's up?"

Caroline studied her. "You've been acting really weird lately," she told her, frowning. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded, trying to smile. "Everything's fine. I just wasn't paying attention." She peered over in the direction Caroline had been standing. "Do you need help with something?"

Caroline let out a small, frustrated sound. "I'll take over painting this. Can you go help Shane with pouring juice?"

Elena nodded, handing over the paintbrush, and made her way to the table littered with refreshments.

She knew she had been off lately… Unable to focus or concentrate, unable to think about anything but her world and how different it really was under the surface. She kept waiting for some horrible, life-threatening drama to unfold, but it never did. It was always the same, every day. Peaceful. Quiet. Calm.

No vampires. No werewolves. No witches.

The world she belonged in.

She fell back into her thoughts as she began pouring the cups of punch, wondering what her friends in her world were doing. Were they moving on with their lives? Was the curse truly lifted?

Were Damon and Stefan all right?

She paused at the thought of Stefan. When was it, she wondered, that she had stopped dwelling on him? When every thought stopped being consumed by him? It was hard to pinpoint, exactly… She thought it was sometime after her connection to him, but since she had arrived in this world, she had barely spared him a thought.

Oddly, it was Damon who she thought of when she closed her eyes at night. Damon who she kept expecting to see every time she turned a corner, flashing her an irresistibly charming smile. Damon who she expected to hear toss out a witty comment whenever someone said something boarding on idiotic. Elijah had said she would be torn between the two brothers, but she didn't feel torn. She felt… sad.

If the curse truly had been lifted from all of them, and her emotions were truly her own once again, then what did her constant thoughts of Damon mean?

At night when she laid in bed, she found herself wondering why she had never opened up to him. Damon could be a monster, yes, but he cared about her. He had loved her. And even if he had done a lot of horrible things in the name of that love, she knew he never really meant to hurt her.

But she had been so blinded by her love for Stefan, of putting Stefan first… Even when she had seen it inside Damon, and even when she had started to acknowledge her feelings for him, she had never been able to cross that barrier. She had never been able to really love him.

Could it really have been the curse all along?

She let out a soft sigh, setting another cup down on the table. It didn't really matter anymore… She would never see either of them again. She would never get the chance to talk to Damon or hear his voice ever again. In this world they were long-since dead, buried in the Mystic Falls cemetery.

She knew, because she had been to their graves herself.

She looked around at the students surrounding her, laughing and working on their projects for the next football game. She felt eerily out of place, disconnected from everything around her.

"Elena!" Caroline exclaimed, appearing in front of the table with Bonnie. Her eyes were wide with surprise, confusion and shock marring her pretty features.

Elena jumped, looking down at the wetness on her hand. She had filled the cup to overflowing, the punch trickling down onto the grass in front of her. She stared at her sticky hand, then up at Caroline and Bonnie, who wore matching expressions of concern and bewilderment.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, setting the cup down and stepping away. "I-I need to go."

And then she turned and fled.

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><p>She hadn't meant to go to the boarding house. She had been driving around, trying to calm her racing thoughts, and when she looked up, she had been staring up at the Salvatore home.<p>

She climbed out reluctantly, slowly making her way into the familiar house. For days she had returned to the house, sitting in front of the mirror, but Damon had never appeared again, and no longer able to face the disappointment, she had been unable to bring herself to come back. But there she was again, drawn to the house, unable to fight it.

She drifted along the hallways, finding herself back in Damon's room before she knew it. She sighed as she gazed around, her eyes lifting to the mirror that had allowed her a brief glimpse at him almost two weeks earlier.

There was a note on the mirror.

Elena gasped, choking in disbelief as she ran to the mirror. The note had been taped up on the other side of the mirror, facing her. He had written it backwards, or had taken a copy and made it backwards, from the look of his familiar penmanship.

She felt tears well up in her eyes as she stared at the familiar sight of his empty room. She looked down at the note on the mirror, reading the few, simple words.

_We're going to get you out of there._

She sobbed, a hand flying to her mouth as she read and re-read the words. She trembled uncontrollably, racing back down to her car to grab a notebook and pen from her backpack. Then she ran back into the house, straight up to Damon's room. He had reappeared, lying on his bed with a book. Her heart leapt into her throat as she stared at him, pounding on the glass to try and catch his attention.

He glanced up seemingly off-handedly, his eyes widening at the sight of her. He was in front of her before she could blink, pointing at the note.

She shook her head, quickly scribbling a note on her notebook. Then, remembering she needed to write backwards, she quickly tore the page off, grateful for all the times Caroline had made her participate in town functions so she had to learn to write on windows from the inside, making it legible to people passing by.

_Jenna's alive. No curse. This is where I belong._

She quickly pressed it against the mirror, tears streaming down her cheeks as his eyes fell to the note. He read it, then looked back up at her, his blue eyes blazing. He quickly looked around, then disappeared out of sight for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited anxiously, afraid they would lose their connection, but he was back a second later. He leaned down over his dresser, then straightened, holding his own paper against the mirror.

_You belong here._

It was so good to read the words, so painfully good, she felt another sob choke her. She shook her head, leaning down to write over her notebook again. And then she paused, thinking of the portrait she had hung in her room, of Damon and Stefan and their wives, looking happy, healthy, and human.

She ripped the page out of her notebook, prepared to start again. She glanced up at the mirror, startled to see new words on the paper Damon held up.

_I love you, and I'm bringing you home._

She looked down at the note in her hand, then up at him, meeting his serious, unwavering eyes. In that moment, everything seemed to fall into place, and even if it was wrong, she was too tired of fighting. This world didn't need her. It had gone on just fine without her.

She slowly lifted her paper to the mirror, facing it to him.

_I want to come home._

She watched his expression soften with relief and understanding, and then he smiled, a gentle, caring smile. He nodded, leaning back down over his dresser. He held the paper up against the mirror.

_Bonnie's working on it._

She laughed out loud, relieved, nodding back at him. He flashed a grin, then suddenly turned, his head snapping in the direction of his door. She protested as the image suddenly faded away to reflect herself, staring back at her in the darkness.

Damon was gone, once again.

She slowly looked down at her paper and began to write. Then she faced the paper to his side of the mirror, sliding it into the wooden frame, and reluctantly left the house once again.

* * *

><p>Damon tossed aside the grimoire in irritation, looking up at the mirror that had connected him to Elena for just a few short minutes. His heart skipped at the darkened, cobweb covered room staring back through the mirror. Elena had stuck a note in the glass, at the bottom of the mirror.<p>

He leaned down to read it, his heart stilling for several seconds as he read the words, reading them over and over again, trying to burn them into his mind.

_I miss you._


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note:** Thank you to all of you who have been reading this from the very beginning. This has been a much longer journey than I ever anticipated! And to all of you who remember me from last year's _History_, I cannot tell you how much you mean to me… I was absolutely astonished when I started getting comments from you guys who remembered that story. It really just meant everything to me. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you for sticking with this from the start and coming back to read!

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is going to work?"<p>

Caroline watched as Bonnie looked up at Damon, a grim expression on her face. "No," Bonnie told him, matter-of-factly. "I'm not. This could bring back the curse. This could bring over a doppelganger. This could do a lot of things." She hesitated, looking down at the heavy, ancient book in her hands. "But I think it will work."

"Well, we've got to try," Stefan pointed out. Caroline watched as he placed a hand on Damon's shoulder. "She doesn't belong there."

Bonnie nodded, exhaling deeply. Caroline watched as she wrapped long chains of herbs around the frame of the mirror, encircling it. Damon reached out, pulling a piece of paper taped backwards on the mirror off of the mirror as Bonnie stepped away. Caroline craned her neck to read it, making out the words, _Tomorrow night_ before he crumpled it in his fist.

Bonnie went to the circle they had drawn in chalk on Damon's floor, kneeling down in front of the cauldron. She tossed a match inside and as the smoke flared in a rainbow of hues, she began to chant.

"I wonder what she's like now," Caroline murmured to Tyler. "She's been gone for, what? Almost two months?" She drew back as she met Damon's glaring eyes. "I'm not saying I don't want her back!" she protested quickly. "It's just, I mean, what if she's all evil now? Or, _oh_!" Her eyes widened as a new thought struck her. "What if she talks backwards? That makes sense, right? She is inside a mirror. What if everything she says sounds like a bunch of garble?"

Damon's eyes blazed. "You want to leave?" he threatened.

She fell back. "No."

"Then shut up." He turned back to the mirror, his eyes darting across the glass.

Caroline made a face at him, then looked over at Stefan, who had a peculiar look on his face. It wasn't quite dread, but it was something akin to… anxiety, maybe? She had thought it odd Damon was the one urging them to get Elena out of the mirror and not Stefan, but Stefan had been supportive and encouraging, and he agreed with Damon completely, so she had dismissed it as Damon just being overly aggressive as he always was.

But, a small part of her couldn't help wondering if the curse really had been toying with Stefan and Elena all along.

She sucked in a breath, her attention caught as the mirror began to fade, a dark reflection of Damon's room appearing in front of them, covered in cobwebs and dust. There was an uneasy shift around the room as everyone stared, transfixed.

"What happened to your house?" Caroline couldn't resist asking, frowning. Her next words died in her throat as Elena suddenly appeared in front of them, looking virtually unchanged, a hesitant, frightened look on her beautiful face.

Her eyes widened at the sight of all of them in Damon's room, and even though they couldn't hear her delighted laugh through the mirror, Caroline could almost hear it, having heard it so many times before.

She felt tears spring to her eyes as she stared at the girl behind the mirror. It really was Elena. It was their Elena, and she was trapped in that mirror… In that world she didn't belong in. Silently, she urged Bonnie to chant faster, for the spell to work quicker, for them to get Elena back where she belonged.

Damon started to step forward, and then he suddenly stopped, a small, sad smile gracing his striking features. Caroline watched as he gently pushed Stefan forward, toward the mirror, watching as Elena and Stefan faced each other for the first time in months.

For a moment, neither looked like they knew what to do. And then Elena smiled, a smile that jarred Caroline straight to her core. She recognized that smile. It was the same smile Elena had given Matt after they had broken up and seen each other for the first time in weeks. A friendly, caring, tender smile, but lacking in the fiery love that had once been there. And then Stefan returned it, nodding at her. Elena nodded, reaching a hand up to the mirror. He did the same, as if to touch her through the glass. Bonnie's chanting reached a crescendo, the final syllables falling from her lips.

Elena's eyes widened with disbelief. Caroline heard Stefan suck in a breath.

And then Stefan's hand disappeared inside the mirror. They all watched, stunned, breathless, as Elena hopped up onto the dresser, both of Stefan's arms disappearing into the mirror.

And then he yanked backwards, holding Elena firmly in his grasp.

For a moment there was only the sound of Elena panting for breath and Stefan gasping for air as they clung to one another, Stefan keeping her on her feet. And then Bonnie's voice quickly began chanting, closing the portal to the world behind the mirror. Caroline looked between Elena and the mirror, watching as the dark image faded away, leaving only their reflections staring back at them.

Elena looked up, clearly shaken, taking in all the faces surrounding her. Her lips turned up into a trembling smile.

"It's good to be home," she said.

* * *

><p>Elena cautiously opened the door to the bedroom, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs. The room was completely dark, except a few rays of moonlight filtering in from behind the curtains. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, frowning at the empty bed in front of her. She looked around, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Damon sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of the bed. His eyes were fastened on her but he remained silent, watching her.<p>

She swallowed the lump in her throat, slowly approaching his side. She thought of all the things she had wanted to tell him when she had been in the other world, but somehow, she couldn't make herself speak. She knelt beside him, facing him, his eyes never leaving hers.

And then, with a racing heart, adrenaline rushing through her, she leaned forward and kissed him.

She felt him straighten, pulling her into his arms, clutching her to him as if afraid she would pull away. It was strangely natural to be in his embrace; to be with him like this. It was passionate and frightening and so full of love she was overwhelmed by it, wrapping her arms around his neck and threading her fingers through his hair.

It was Damon who pulled away, not her, holding her tightly in his arms.

"I love you," he said softly, his breath inches from her ear.

She smiled, a shrill of excitement rushing through her, followed by an overpowering sense of happiness and peace. She nodded, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I love you," she said softly. "Thank you for bringing me back where I belong."

He leaned back, kissing her lightly on the forehead, and then hugged her close, as if determined to never let her go.

And if she had her way, he wouldn't.


End file.
